COUNCILLORS took a mammoth 14 hours to decide on spending commitments which could affect residents in Studley and Alcester.
Warwickshire County Council’s budget for 2015/16 was finally set last Thursday (February 5) after a lengthy session which ran late into the night. As no political party has overall control of the authority it took hours to reach agreement.
But it was eventually decided that the council’s share of the council tax bill would rise by 1.95 per cent , equating to about 44p a week for the average household.
It was also decided to set aside £4million for rural broadband, which should give 98 per cent of homes access to the technology. Sambourne was announced earlier in the week as one of the villages next on the list to be upgraded.
Another £4million will be used to upgrade street lighting to LED which should bring about savings and reduce the county’s carbon footprint, while £1million will be ploughed into apprenticeships.
Coun Clive Rickhards, who represents Studley on the council, said he was particularly pleased £2.5million had been invested in traffic road and cycle safety. Coun Rickhards, along with Studly district councillor Hazel Wright, has been leading the Studley Improvement Partnership focusing on traffic issues in the town and he said the extra money would help the programme continue.
Council leader Izzi Seccombe said: “In setting this year’s budget we have had to recognise our continued programme of efficiencies while also identifying key areas of work that we wish to prioritise for the people of Warwickshire.”
