A budget deal for Glasgow City Council has been reached after lengthy talks.
Budget talks in Glasgow carried on into this evening to get a deal agreed on the council’s finances for the next year.
SNP and Green groups have agreed to support a budget which they said takes "bold, urgent and progressive action" adding "our two groups have come together to deliver a budget responding the immediate and future needs of Glaswegians".
The City Council is having to find savings, with finance director Martin Booth informing councillors this month the spending gap was almost £20m, although that figure is understood to have been reduced over the last week.
It is understood that through a deal to use Government cash for teacher numbers, and other accounting mechanisms, the figure was reduced significantly to be in the low millions.
SNP Councillor, Richard Bell, the City Treasurer is the man tasked with setting the budget, with around £1.4bn from the Scottish Government.
The level of council tax increase is also to be decided with an expectation from the Scottish Government it will not be higher than inflation, which is currently 5.4percent.
The rise is expected to be lower than that.
Full details of spending and cuts will emerge ahead of the budget meeting tomorrow but there is understood to be cash for cleansing services and a fund to set up new environmental teams to improve street appearance throughout the city.
Cash for pavements and potholes is also included in the deal.
Councillors from both parties had been seeking an agreement that satisfies both their priorities.
Identifying cash for programmes to aid recovery from the pandemic and money to re-open more culture and leisure venues closed since lockdown are also on the agenda.
Richard Bell, SNP City Treasurer, said: “This is a budget which responds to Covid recovery, to the cost-of-living crisis and to the priorities identified by our citizens.
“Our joint budget addresses fuel poverty, provides assistance to those most affected by the cost of living crisis and those still impacted by the pandemic.
“It also responds to what our residents have told us are their priorities, accelerating recovery in every neighbourhood with new and permanent environmental teams, investments in parks and greenspaces and a multi-million pound package of measures to improve roads, footways and the look and feel of local areas.”
The Greens said they focused on helping people through the cost of living crisis, reopening and renewing community venues, and accelerating climate action.
Jon Molyneux, Green councillor, said: "That difference will be felt by Glasgow’s valued foster and kinship carers, whose allowances were frozen ten years ago under Labour. We’ve set a clear expectation that they deserve an increase to sustain their vital work.
"The difference will be felt by communities who’ve campaigned for venues to reopen. Greens had already secured the funding to keep all our libraries open - now we will make sure all our museums and dozens of local venues open their doors soon too."
Both parties said there is also a strong environmental focus on teh budget agreement.
MR Molyneux added: "Greens led the work that saw Glasgow set its 2030 net zero target. We will now see more action, including progress on a free public transport pilot, a city-wide 20mph zone, a massive wildflower city plan and investment in local, renewable energy.
"From the other groups' proposals, it is clear they are paying lip service to the climate emergency and they are not prepared to take the actions needed."
Mr Bell said: "And it’s a budget which looks both to Glasgow’s past and our future. It will help address the decades of neglect of our built heritage and cherished buildings, whilst preparing us for the challenges and opportunities of the emerging Green economy, capitalising on Glasgow’s global profile from COP26."
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel