Wakefield budget: Opposition parties call for reduced council tax increase and spending on mini-buses in rural communities

The demands are among a raft of budget amendments proposed by the Tory and Lib Dem groups on Wakefield Council.

Councillors are to vote on the Labour-run authority’s budget plans at a meeting on Wednesday (March 1).

Labour’s proposals include a maximum price hike and scrapping free parking as the council strives to plug a £24m funding gap for the next financial year.

Plans also include cuts to some services and the scrapping of jobs.

The council intends to use £10m of its reserves to help ease pressure on services and residents.

The proposed 4.99 per cent council tax rise is the maximum allowed without a referendum.

The increase includes a two per cent rise reserved for spending on social care.

Council leader Denise Jeffery has pledged to still deliver over 1,800 services and that supporting vulnerable people will be prioritised.

Amendments proposed ahead of the meeting by Tory group leader Tony Hames include spending £286,000 to provide a mini-bus service to rural communities who have little or no bus services.

Coun Hames has also called for LED street lights to be switched off from midnight to 5.30am to make a £125,000 saving.

Lib Dem councillor Pete Girt has proposed 15 amendments.

They include a limit to the core council tax increase of 1.99 per cent, to be funded from reserves.

Coun Girt has also called for the abolition of allowances for deputy portfolio holders and business managers, making a £43,000 saving.

Other proposals include saving £244,000 through a senior management review and getting rid of two service director posts.

The Lib Dems also call for £130,000 to be spent on a review of leisure and youth facilities, focussing of Castleford, Crofton, Ryhill, Walton and Havercroft.

A report to councillors says the proposed amendments “will not materially impact on the overall robustness of the budget for 2023/2024.”