Tax rise could help services in Norfolk, say Green Party

Richard Wheeler Tuesday, February 19, 2013
10:39 AM

Richard Bearman, Green Party group leader, said increasing council tax by 1.95pc could have raised £5.85m – almost double the council tax freeze grant of £3.4m from Eric Pickles’s communities department.

The Green Party’s budget amendments aimed to protect mental health services, schools cash and ensure pavements were cleared during the winter.

Jennifer Toms, Green councillor for Sewell ward, said: “Here in Norfolk mental illness and suicide rates are rising but services are being ground down by cut after cut.” The Tory administration countered that some of the mental health service cash removed from the budget was not a cut but, instead, money saved due to new contracts. Graham Plant, cabinet member for transport, also questioned how far £200,000 in the winter maintenance budget would stretch to keep pavements clear. Mr Bearman wished the Tories luck in their attempts to secure as much EU funding as possible but said most of the money was heading east – and he said he was not referring to Great Yarmouth.

6 comments

No chance, Borat too busy chucking as many little scraps at as many different sectors to please as many different people as possible, is there an election soon? Described as Borat's personal amendments, the 200 extra jobs put at risk barely get a mention. What are they doing with the half a billion or so stashed in reserves? You might have forgotten but these were built up between 2001 and 2010 when we were taxed by NCC way ahead of inflation to the tune of £250 extra per household. If NORSE is a successful, commercial, arms-length business, why does NCC need to subsidise its apprentice scheme? Whose are the "very small" country businesses that can't pay for their own apprentices - maybe a new tea room in Borat's constituency? £250,000 for vulnerable children and young people safeguarding services, on the back of the annihilation of youth services last year. The Armed Services' vote: in the bag! In a nutshell, a lot of little publicity-seeking gimmicks. Blatant electioneering that should fool no one.

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Police Commissioner ???

Tuesday, February 19, 2013
I notice in the headline it has the word "could" not "would". The headline should read "wont" !.

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"V"

Tuesday, February 19, 2013
No Mr CI the proper slogan is Feel Green, Vote Conservative, Throw Up.

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Electra

Tuesday, February 19, 2013
why 1.95%? why shy away from public scrutiny? I agree CI, there was always something really idiotic, diametrically impossible about the Tory slogan 'go green, build waste burners'.

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ingo wagenknecht

Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Quite so, Windless. A visit to the Electoral Commission website reveals, amongst the many slogans of dubious legality registered there, "go green, vote Conservative". LOL

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Mr Cameron Isaliar

Tuesday, February 19, 2013
If the word "GREEN" is in ANYTHING, be suspicious, it always involves idiocy

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Windless

Tuesday, February 19, 2013