Concerns raised over BCP budget

The claim came from Christchurch councillor Mike Cox – but was refuted by council leader Drew Mellor, who said that not only would his team be investing for the future prosperity of the area, but it was doing so without a “fire sale of assets”.

Cllr Cox accused the council of failing to make the transformation savings it promised, claimed it had dipped into reserves in a year when it received record income from the Government and had failed to tackle overspending in some departments.

Read more: Opposition groups react to BCP council tax and budget plan

At the centre of the BCP administration’s policy is to borrow against the value of assets, controversially including council-owned beach huts, an approach which Cllr Mellor says will retain the area’s treasure chest of property and land.

By doing so he claims the council will be able to invest in the area now, or in the near future, reaping the rewards of extra investment early and over a longer period. He said his administration had turned the corner from previous years and is now looking forward – not back.

Cllr Andy Hadley said the tactic amounted to “a one year kick which we’ll be paying for over twenty years".

Despite an attempt by Cllr Cox to delay the budget until further information was seen by all councillors, it was approved after a lengthy debate  – adding four per cent to council taxpayers' bills from April, made up of a deferred increase in last year’s adult social care rise, together with a one per cent rise for the coming financial year. Cllr Mellor said there would be no increase in the core council tax.

Read more: Beach hut plan key to BCP Council's budget proposal

Cllr Cox said it would be irresponsible for the council to approve this year’s budget without seeing a KMPG report which Cllr Mellor claims backs the administration’s financial strategy.

Cllr Mark Howell said he could only come to the conclusion that the document was being deliberately withheld from opposition councillors: “This is utterly irresponsible, we need to have some answer here why we can’t see this document,” he said.

Cllr Lesley Dedman said residents deserved better than what she described as “a budget based on the shifting sands and beach huts".

"We see very little trust in this administration’s budget within this chamber, or in the community,” she said, later describing the Conservative financial philosophy as “casino economics” where future generations would pay the bill.

Cllr Mellor said: “None of the minority groups have put forward any alternatives for the budget. We are all done with looking backwards…this is a forward- looking budget with all of our residents treated fairly and equally… it is a budget for children, for care, for council taxpayers and a budget for climate." He said the budget would make the area “cleaner, greener and safer".

Read more: Council tax 'base freeze' in proposed BCP Council budget

The increase will see basic BCP tax charges rise from the current £1,541.57 to £1,603.23 for the ‘average’ Band D home. After adding in the police component, the fire and rescue rise and any parish or town precepts most Band D homes in the area will, from April, be very close to an annual £2,000 a year council tax bill.

The budget was carried 39-19 with six councillors abstaining.

The meeting also approved a four per cent rise in council home rents, although councillors were told that over 60 per cent of tenants would not pay the full increase because they were already being supported by various benefits.