Conservatives claim Lancaster Council leaders have made 'bad decisions' over city's finances
Lancaster Conservatives have said the city council’s ruling cabinet, which includes Labour, Green and Morecambe independent councillors, cannot blame Westminster government funding cuts, turmoil and rising costs for all the financial challenges the council faces.
Various claims and arguments came at the latest full council meeting during finance and budget updates.Labour Coun Anne Whitehead, the cabinet member for finance and resources, presented a report asking the full council to note a key finance officer’s assessment of the minimum level of reserves needed and to approve revisions to the governance arrangement for future reserve-funded expenditure.
She said the cabinet had agreed to transfer £5.1million to unallocated reserves earlier this autumn, which was within its powers. However, the latest decision on the general fund balance and governance arrangements needed full council approval. However, Coun Whitehead dismissed his criticism and again criticised government funding for councils. She said: “The government is hell-bent on having a small state and increasing its authority. This is not conducive to the council being able to deliver the services we want to.”Coun Whitehead said work was ongoing including the new focus on Outcome-Based Resourcing programme.
Regarding a Gateway warehouse at White Lund Industrial Estate, he said it had made a small return. It was not making a loss and investment would make it a better asset. More information was needed to judge its performance but it was being judged, he emphasised.
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