Wiltshire Conservatives have today published a fully costed Alternative Budget that protects vital services, strengthens long term financial stability, and delivers £20 million more savings than the Liberal Democrat administration — all while reducing borrowing and avoiding cuts to frontline services. It provides proposals that balance the Council’s books over 3 years and forecasts a financial surplus in 2028/29, a significant improvement over the £6 million deficit the Lib Dem budget promises to inflict on Wiltshire’s residents. The Alternative Budget will:
- Boost highways maintenance by £6.2 million a year, funded through revenue rather than borrowing – which our grandchildren would be paying off!
- Introduce a Lane Rental charging scheme to raise revenue and ensure quicker completion of utility company roadworks.
- Scrap planned Sunday parking increases to the standard day rate and reverse the extension of charged hours from 7am to 7pm.
- Protect funding for Link and Community Transport schemes.
- Keep Purton and Lower Compton Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) open for at least three years, while alternatives are assessed.
- Abolish the proposed HRC slot-booking system.
- Ensure all legal options are fully explored before any major expenditure at St. Stephen’s Car Park.
Cllr Richard Clewer, Conservative Group Leader said,
It has been extremely painful to watch the Lib Dems make such a mess of Wiltshire Council over the last few months, and in particular, to worry thousands of people, and then U turn over non-sensical proposals to close Household Recycling Centres and stopping Community Transport. Not to mention proposals to squander taxpayers’ money on St Stephen’s Car Park.
Following the Government’s “fair funding” review which moves resources away from rural areas such as Wiltshire, towards urban and metropolitan areas, it is critical that Wiltshire Council is reshaped to deliver services as efficiently as possible, inside the new financial footprint. We must ensure that we present a balanced Medium Term Financial Strategy across all three years of the government settlement period. Frankly, this is what a competent and robust Administration should be doing – Wiltshire deserves better.
I’m very pleased that my discussions with senior officers have enabled a strong Conservative Alternative Budget to be prepared which secures an additional £20m of savings (mainly using technology). It ensures that services can be delivered more efficiently and reverses unpalatable cuts to the Parish Steward Service, scraps parking charge increases for evenings and Sundays, puts an additional £6.2million per annum into Highways maintenance, halts the proposed HRC closures, and ensures that vital Community Transport Services are properly funded.
This Alternative Budget has been ratified by the Council’s Section 151 Officer and will now be fully scrutinised by the Finance & Procurement Select Committee. I look forward to sharing with all Councillors and other stakeholders, more detail about how we ensure that Wiltshire Council can best deliver for residents across the county in the coming years.
