Burnley Council spending plans agreed after five hour heated debate

Opposition councillors clashed during the debate on the council's spending plans before all parties agreed that Council Tax will be increased by 1.99% but with extra help for poorer residents.

Deputy leader of the council and Executive member for resources, Lib Dem Coun. Margaret Lishman described it as "a triumph for democracy", in contrast to Labour leader Coun. Mark Townsend who described the meeting as "five hours of mayhem".

He was, however, pleased that the ruling coalition adopted Labour's alternative plan to provide additional council tax support for low income working age residents.

Coun. Lishman said: “We had a long debate at the meeting about a few details, but 99% of the revenue budget and 99.5% of the capital budget was agreed from the start along with the level of Council Tax for next year and the main items of expenditure.

"Some amendments were proposed, mainly with the support of nearly all councillors for the principles and then arguments about exactly how they are to be put into practice.

“This is a triumph for democracy. All the groups on the council contributed to the budget that was eventually agreed and it shows that councillors are putting the good of Burnley’s community first.

"The most important additions to the budget proposed are extra money to address homelessness and rough-sleeping in the town, proposed by the Labour Group and support for poorer residents in keeping warm and energy efficiency proposed by the Green Party."

Other new spending commitments include money ring-fenced for initiatives on the Climate Emergency declared by the council, improving the planning system in the interests of residents and further spending on problems with Burnley Town Hall and at Towneley Hall.

Council Tax will increase by 1.99% with extra help for poorer residents, which is £4 a year household or 7.5 pence a week for Band A properties and £6 a year and 11p a week for Band D properties.

However, Coun. Townsend described the current leadership of the council as a "dysfunctional coalition".

He said: “The coalition of chaos running Burnley Council lived up to its name on Wednesday when its flagship spending proposals were defeated and Labour’s alternative plan put in its place.

"I am delighted that Labour’s fully funded alternative to provide additional council tax support to low income residents, funding towards rough sleeping initiatives, additional energy efficiency grants and additional resources for parks maintenance and housing standards enforcement were accepted.

"The council has no leadership under this dysfunctional coalition and services are suffering."