County council approve budget

The Council meeting finished at 9.30pm with 45 councillors voting in favour of the budget, 15 voting against and three abstained.

The Council approved the following with no amendments:

n the Budget 2012/13 with revised proposals following the consultation

n the Capital programme for 2012/13 to 2015/16, which sets out the £355m allocated for Council building and maintenance projects over this period

n the medium-term financial strategy, which outlines the authority’s finance plans up to 2015/16

n the Council Tax levels for 2012/13, which have been frozen.

Cabinet member for finance and property Coun Reg Adair said the council had worked hard to put forward proposals which improve the way it works rather than impact on frontline services.

“We have already laid the foundations for much of the savings that are required for the next two years and this budget plan includes an extra £12m worth of saving measures that is required over this period,” he said.

“We will be reinvesting £36m of the total £63m savings over the next two years to help protect the most vulnerable including children at risk and older people needing care.

He added: “The £355m that has been approved for building and maintenance projects over the next four years will help boost the economy by creating work for local businesses and will greatly benefit all sections of Notts’ population.”

But leader of the Labour opposition Coun Alan Rhodes slammed the budget decisions made by the county council.

“Cuts, closures and redundancies remain the hallmark of the Conservative administration at Notts County Council with a budget that promises further reductions in services and over 350 redundancies across the County,” he said.

“Any suggestion of investment in services by this administration is nothing more than an attempt to deceive the public and hide the real effects of financial incompetence that has resulted in a £100 million hole in the County Councils finances and crisis management at the top.”