Local democracy in North Heaton under threat

Labour’s  budget also included controversial plans to cut the council’s ward committees, ward budgets, and community development team.

The axe has fallen on quarterly ward committee meetings, despite North Heaton’s ward meetings being well attended by local residents and local groups.There will now be a single annual  local meeting – despite the council’s own resident survey showing the council already performs badly in terms of the percentage of residents who feel they can influence decision-making locally.

North Heaton’s ward budget has been reduced by Labour from around £23,000 this year (and £40,000 when the Lib Dems ran the council) to just £6,000 next year (far lower than so-called “priority” wards). Labour’s councillor never mentioned this to voters when he was claiming to “Love North Heaton” last year.

This will obviously massively reduce the amount of funding we can award to local initiatives like parks groups, activities for children and young people, festivals, and local community buildings.

Your Lib Dem councillors DOREEN and GREG voted against these cuts – our alternative proposals would protect the current level of ward funding. We now plan to hold our own “unofficial” local ward meetings to ensure local residents can still have input.

Labour’s councillor in North Heaton followed party orders to vote through these cuts. This is a spiteful blow to local decision-making & local groups in our area. Labour’s claim to support our local community has been exposed as a lie.