COUNCIL tax in Edinburgh will rise by three per cent and charges for collecting garden waste will be introduced, according to the ruling SNP-Labour Capital Coalition’s budget proposals for the next financial year.
Proposals to reduce library opening times and scrap night noise patrols were abandoned after public consultation and funds will be set aside for households on low income to be able to pay the garden waste charge – expected to be £25 per year.
Thanks to the Scottish Government’s allocation of greater funds than expected, Edinburgh Leisure will be asked to trim £270,000 from its budget rather than £420,000.
The council will also bring in a plan for a tourist tax later this year. The Coalition’s motion for next week’s budget meeting states: “Working with partners in the hospitality industry, the Coalition will bring forward a business case on the introduction of a Transient Visitor Levy (TVL) later in 2018.
“There was spontaneous support for this idea accounting for around 42 per cent of all suggestions – vastly more than any other suggestion. The concept was also overwhelmingly supported at the Question Time event during the consultation. This confirms that the Coalition is right to explore the range of options for introducing a TVL.”
On culture, £10 million has been earmarked for the refurbishment of the King’s and Leith theatres and the development of the new concert hall in the Old Town. The city’s museums and galleries will also be given funds to extend their opening hours and be open seven days a week.
UNISON, the largest union in the council, warned yesterday that the effect of year-on-year cuts now threatens the council’s ability to meet its statutory duties.
Tom Connolly, UNISON Edinburgh branch secretary, said: “We hear much about the council having to set a legal budget. We hear less about it failing to meet its statutory duty to provide services.
“Of course the reduced cut from the Scottish government is welcome this year but it still means a standstill budget and it can’t hide the huge cuts that are inevitable.
“The Scottish government, while talking the talk about beating austerity, have in fact handed it down to local government. Edinburgh has lost £250m in cuts – a quarter of its previous budget – in the last five years. Nine out of 10 of all the austerity job cuts have come from local councils.”
John Stevenson, UNISON Edinburgh president, said: “We will lobby the council budget meeting next week and will again urge the council to publish a parallel budget to show the people of Edinburgh what services could look like if they were properly funded.”
Meanwhile SNP councillor Lewis Ritchie remains suspended by the party and has had the group whip withdrawn following an alleged incident in a taxi when he was attending the SNP conference in Glasgow. It has emerged that Ritchie had already stood down as planning convener.
A spokesman for the SNP said: “A complaint has been passed to the disciplinary committee and councillor Ritchie is under administrative suspension until a hearing takes place.”
The suspension should not affect the vote on the budget
as the Coalition will require support from other parties – most likely the Greens – to pass the budget in any case.
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