Cardiff Council approves controversial budget

Cardiff County Council's budget for the next year was approved at last night's meeting despite widespread opposition, including protests outside City Hall.

The budget, which was approved by a majority of 15 with no abstentions, included savings of nearly £22million on last year's spending, an increase in council tax of 1.94 per cent, which would raise £2.4million, and a range of increased service charges.

Around 30 people from activist group Cardiff Against the Cuts gathered outside City Hall to protest against the budget cuts put forward by the Lib Dem and Plaid Cymru coalition.

Despite police closing the road outside City Hall and penning them behind barriers,protesters had gathered outside an hour before the meeting started, and were making their voices heard as it approached.

Demonstrator Francesca Cunliffe, a 24-year-old philosophy student, said: "The way they are doing the cuts is immoral because it is taking funding away from those people who need it most.

"We pay our taxes, we expect to get services for it."

All three opposition groups were opposed to the budget, with the Conservative group and the independents proposing amendments, but none of them received enough support to make it into the budget.

Coun Mark Stephens, the executive member for finance and service delivery said: "What people need to remember is what isn't being cut. No libraries are closing, no leisure centres are closing, no play centres are closing and no sweeping cuts to grants."

In summing up the budget, Coun Rodney Berman, the leader of the council, said: "This is a budget for jobs, this is a budget for services."

Labour opposed the budget, but decided against tabling an amendment given the size of the administration's majority. Coun Russell Goodway, the council's former leader, called the coalition's budget "the most regressive set of measures ever put before the council."

The independent group, made up of Rhiwbina councillors Jayne Cowan, Brian Jones and Adrian Robson, put forward amendments which set aside £5,000 for road closures allowing residents to hold street parties for the royal wedding on April 29.

They also proposed a council tax cut of 1.13 per cent. This would be covered in part by a £300,000 cut in agency fees and consultancy costs and the scrapping of bottled water for councillors during meetings.

Despite the opposition, the independents' proposals gained four votes, with one said to have come from Conservative councillor Robert Smith.

Coun Cowan said: "I'm disappointed we haven't got a reduction in council tax. There was scope to achieve that. We took it really seriously and had a fully costed budget."

"We realise we are a small group but we always go in with hope," she added.

The Conservative group had also proposed an unspecified reduction in council tax, to be achieved by cutting spending on communication, procurement and staffing.

Part of the Conservative proposals would have included scrapping the council newspaper Capital Times, but their proposals gained only 14 votes.

Coun David Walker, leader of the Conservative group, said: "You get to expect nothing more than the ability to make your case. The administration got what it wanted."

"They are at last coming round to the fact that spending needs to be reined back."

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Read our live blog of Thursday night's meeting below: