BROADLAND COUNCIL BANKRUPT

Broadland District Council have a Budget Meeting scheduled for this evening where Councillors are set to approve a 2.9% increase in Council Tax for next year. They have to approve this to cover an expected budget shortfall of £2.4M within the next 4 years.

However the most important part of the discussions this evening are the Councils plans to take money out of their reserves (savings) over the next 5 years by up to £4.8M. If they do this they will see their total reserves fall to less than £1M which will be below their own recommended limit.

The local community group Stop Norwich UrBanisation (SNUB) will be challenging this dangerous level of funding and asking questions on how the Council expects to find the money needed to close the funding gap on the proposed Eco Town and the NDR. Chairman of SNUB, Stephen Heard, says “We have already seen that Broadland District Council have failed in their attempts to receive Central Government funding for the proposed Eco Town where there is a £19M shortfall which on top of the £78M shortfall for the NDR leaves a huge gap in their income. Is this 2.9% increase the first attempt to close this gap by asking ratepayers to fund these development plans which local Parish Councils and residents do not want.” Stephen Heard goes on to say that the Council are in danger of becoming bankrupt as the future finances of the district council look dangerously close to becoming insolvent.

SNUB would urge all Broadland District Council ratepayers to attend the meeting this evening at 7pm in the Council Chamber in Thorpe Lodge or to ask their District Councillor how the money for these projects is going to be found.

For further media information please contact Stephen Heard on 07983 270399 or snub@orangehome.co.uk or Richard Williams on snub@me.com.

2 comments:

  1. Went to this meeting. Self Congratulation filled the air.
    Budget set at 2.0% with the pain as always down the road.
    The trouble is that smoke and mirrors are the order of the day. Even members could not understand the 70 odd pages of figures. Most Tories just said nothing and then stuck their hands up. Democracy at work.

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  2. 2% This year and 4% for the two years after. Why the hike and can it be justified. Simon Woodbridge is a disgrace.

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