Third world roads need repairs

WARRINGTON Borough Council should be spending more money on filling potholes and putting less aside for executive board initiatives, according to the Liberal Democrats.
The town’s “third world” roads need as much money spending on them as can be found, says Cllr Peter Walker, the Lib Dem spokesman on finance.
Commenting on the council’s £439 million budget, Cllr Walker (pictured) said: “We want to spend an extra £170,000 each year on filling potholes and street light maintenance.
“We don’t think it is right to put this money aside in an Initiatives Fund without saying how it will be spent or what contingency it covers.
“The Labour administration did the same thing last year and people referred to it as the Executive Board members’ ‘slush’ fund.”
Cllr Walker said the national budget deficit had to be reduced and the council had to deal with the reduction in grant from central government.
“Cuts seem to have been spread fairly across departments but consultation on the budget with the public has been too short and not very effective, ” he said.
“School spending has increased and pupils from lower income families will benefit from the Lib Dems ‘pupil premium’.
“New freedoms for borrowing introduced by the Coalition Government allow us to lend money at low interest rates to housing associations to build more houses at no cost to the Council Tax payer, bringing much needed social housing and jobs to the Town.
“This facility is welcomed and has the added benefit that each new home built attracts money through the government’s ‘New Homes Bonus’.”