Yet more cuts in services ahead for Surrey residents

12.00.00am GMT Tue 10th Feb 2009

Surrey council tax payers will continue to see poor services over the next year after the ruling Conservative administration adopted a budget that cuts bus services, pot hole repairs, gritting and road gully cleaning.

The Liberal Democrats at Surrey reluctantly agreed with the proposed 2.9% rise in Council Tax - the majority of funding the County Council gets to provide much needed services - but strongly objected to the content of the budget.

Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Hazel Watson said the budget was "fundamentally flawed", failing to provide value for money services for Surrey residents. "The emphasis should be on increasing and improving services while reducing back office and administrative costs. This budget does the opposite. It cuts services and increases the number of administrative staff."

The Liberal Democrats made a number of suggestions at the meeting of how to cut waste and improve services for Surrey residents, such as youth facilities, road maintenance, buses and urgent school building repairs, using funds that are already in the budget. "None of our proposals would increase Council Tax at all - many Surrey residents are struggling to pay their bills, especially Council Tax, and we are certainly keen to help them. In fact, back in November we presented to Council a plan to help residents and businesses through these difficult times.

"This Tory budget is a real 'waste' - they're adding 23 admin jobs, while at the same time taking away bus services and road maintenance programmes."

Cllr John Doran, Liberal Democrat spokesperson on transport said the Tories had been disingenuous in suggesting there was extra money for roads maintenance.

"At the Transport Select Committee back in January, we were told that in order to keep the roads at their current level of repair, we would need to spend this year an extra £4m over what was originally budgeted for - that's £2m from capital and £2m from revenue," he said. "With what's been proposed today, we're still £3m short on that figure, so poor roads maintenance won't be going away, any time soon."

Other areas which the Liberal Democrats highlighted was better funding for the voluntary sector and the reduction of expensive agency staff and consultants - an issue the Liberal Democrats have highlighted for some time as a significant waste of council taxpayers' money.