Conservative's £5m doesn’t go far enough

Liberal Democrat County Councillors have welcomed the Conservative Administration's acceptance of the principle that reserve funds can be used to cushion the impact of cuts in Leicestershire, but believe that the £2.5m p.a. over two years doesn't go far enough.

Last week the Liberal Democrat Group called for a debate on the use of reserves in response to the news that the County Council is holding an earmarked reserve of £66m plus a County fund of £9m on top of proposed contingencies totalling £12.7m for a total of £87.7m.

Group Leader Simon Galton said: "We accept there is a strong case for protecting some projects and services that deliver valuable support to vulnerable children in Leicestershire, but there is an equally strong case for considering other areas such as the Voluntary Sector, Anti-Social Behaviour and Elderly Care.

In my opinion, at a time when the County Council is making massive reductions of £82m over four years, the Conservative's plan to use £2.5m p.a over two years is simply not enough. It is a minimum and should be increased to protect other vital areas. "