Central Beds and Council tax

What was the aim of merging Beds County Council, Mid Beds and South Beds? To save costs, improve services and lower Council tax I hear you cry. Well the latter fell at the first hurdle with Central Beds Shadow Council setting a budget leading to a 2.5% increase for the residents of Central Bedfordshire from April.

I was quite amazed to see the proposal from the Conservatives supported wholeheartedly by the Libdem and Labour groups. It was left to the Greens (yes there are two of us now!) and Independents to speak up for the Pensioners (who had presented a petition and were waving placards outside)and others hoping for a decrease not an increase. We were allowed a brief statement each pointing out that the tax would exceed inflation and that the other Unitary - Bedford Borough was introducing only a 0.9% increase. But then the debate was cut short and a vote hastily called with Conservatives, Libdem and Labour voting together in perfect harmony.

More time was given earlier in the proceedings as to whether Councillors mileage allowance should be higher for larger cars. The Conservatives tabled a late amendment to the proposal on the agenda to change a flat rate of mileage allowance to a rate which increased dramatically from around 42 p/mile for small cars to over 58 p/mile for cars over 1200 cc. I pointed out that this would prove a disincentive for the use of smaller more efficient cars and was hardly setting a good example to others in terms of reducing Carbon emissions. There was even dissent in the Tory ranks but the vast majority were keen to point out the huge costs of running their gas guzzlers.

One of the Libdems quipped that you don't need to be a Green to champion green measures. I agree with this, but I didnt see anyone else standing up for the Green principles of living within your means - either financially or environmentally.