From our Local County Councillor James Fitch
My last words on the County Budget just confirm what I forecast last month. At
the full County Council meeting in mid February we voted a Budget of £511M for
2005/6. The Council Tax details are available from your District Councillors as
the District Council is responsible for collection. Four percent increase for
the County is moderate by recent standards.
As a member of the Opposition we fought hard for some concessions and changes. I would claim the restitution of £100,000 for the Heritage Service to be a particularly gratifying last minute acknowledgement of a vital need. Round here the best-known and deserving beneficiary may well be Burwell Museum whose grant aid from other sources depends on a prime grant from Cambridgeshire.
The other cause for personal satisfaction is the agreement by the ruling party that sprinklers for schools or other establishments where people sleep overnight is essential and value for money. I hope we shall now never see Burwell or Swaffham Bulbeck fire engines racing to Burwell House to rescue children from a smokefilled building.
Given ultimate limits on the County's wish to fully fund every service, we shall not be able to completely attend to the faults vividly revealed by OFSTED regarding the provision of Youth Services. We could only finance half of what was described as "unsatisfactory service ... poor value for money". The Lib Dems fought, unsuccessfully, for more money. Had it been accepted it might have cost you a few pounds per year on Council Tax. It's all about choices and priorities - the main job of a county councillor is to make just those decisions.
I hope you will support possible action against cuts to some of the County's rural Bus Services. We know of no imminent threat locally, but the recent budget meant a cut of subsidy amounting to £50,000. Be vigilant!
My final comment is to draw your attention to a few simple statistics. School fires attended by Cambs. Fire Service 1999/2000 and 2003/2004:
- Cambs 73
- Compare with Suffolk 49
- And Essex 94
- National Shire total 6369 (Hansard 2.3.05)
If you spot a young arsonist at work REPORT HIM (or HER)!