Campaigners condemn city council budget decision

Campaigners from Nottinghamshire Save Our Services (Notts SOS) have condemned the budget, voted through by councillors on Monday 5th March.

Councillors overwhelmingly voted for the budget which included a 3.49% council tax increase; the sell-off of Portland Leisure Centre; the closure of two centres for older people, Marlstones Elderly Person’s Home in Bulwell and the Willows Centre in Beechdale; the closure of the Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard; the ending of food waste collections; the closure of nine recycling centres; and a reduction in funding to Connexions, a support service for young people.

There were only four votes against - the city's few remaining Tories voting who have no particular objection to cutting services, but opposed the council tax increase.

Notts SOS held a joint protest with Nottingham City Unison outside the Council House at lunchtime and another for people coming from work at 5pm.

The group also handed in a petition to the council calling on the council not to implement a cuts budget. This was presented by Councillor Alex Norris during the budget meeting.

Tom Unterrainer from Notts SOS said, "Labour councillors made a lot of speeches, all of the 'with a heavy heart' variety. Piffle. If they had any heart - or backbone - they'd have set a no cuts budget and taken their fight to the government with action not hot air."

Richard Smith from Notts SOS said, "This is not the end of the campaign. This is the fourth year in a row the city council has cut its budget and they already expect to slash a further £24m by spring 2015. Sooner or later, something's going to give. Hopefully it's some of the local Labour councillors rather than any of Nottingham's residents."

Notes for editors

1. Notts SOS was set up in the autumn of 2010 to campaign and oppose all cuts to services in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We have been fighting council cuts on many levels since then, including organising a 1,200 strong march to the city centre in November 2010.

ENDS