Council tax freeze agreed by councillors

A number of intiatives were agreed by councillors at the budget meeting.

A COUNCIL tax freeze has been agreed as part of Aberdeenshire Council’s budget for 2012/13.

Councillors last week also backed a series of Scottish Government policy initiatives including a maintaining of police and teacher numbers, a contribution to Change Funds and a re-profiling of capital funding.

Council leader Anne Robertson also announced proposals for improvements to services to support the challenges of early intervention and demography. £300,000 will be invested to establish a homelessness prevention team to focus specifically on reducing homeless presentations and the council’s use of bed and breakfast.

The council will also invest £900,000 to support a joint project between education and social work to increase the council’s capacity to support children with complex needs to stay in Aberdeenshire, rather than move out of authority to less appropriate, or often more expensive, arrangements.

In addition, £1 million will be invested in road maintenance and a further £1 million into the council’s repairs and maintenance programme.

Councillor Robertson also advised that future budgets would deliver investment in priority projects, while any budget pressures would be met through efficiencies.

The budget was seconded by Councillor Jim Gifford who welcomed the approach to long-term financial planning taken by the council and supported the proposals that future financial challenges would be focused through efficiencies rather than service cuts.

Councillor Robertson said: "It is fitting that I present a five-year revenue budget which demonstrates the long-term approach to the financial stability of Aberdeenshire Council. We still face significant reductions in funding over the next five to ten years and we must prepare ourselves for that eventuality now.

"The budget puts early intervention, demography and economic development at its heart, through prioritised service delivery, partnership working and is supported by a dedicated and professional workforce. The proposed budget puts this council on a very sound financial footing for the future."

Councillor Fergus Hood presented the SNP alternative budget, which put forward funding priority proposals to invest in sheltered housing schemes and community transport.

There was also a proposal to invest in improvements to the inspection regime of roads repairs by third-party contractors and service companies, and to enhance council systems to embrace new technology.

As a one-off, it was also proposed to provide an additional year of funding for grant aid, to enable local groups to become sustainable and fully consider their business plans.

The administration budget was supported with 36 votes for the motion, 25 for the SNP’s amendment and three no votes.

A proposal by the Demographic Independent Group to invest surplus funding in wind turbines on council land and photovoltaic systems on council buildings was not supported.