Kingston Liberal Democrat Councillor Group proposed an amendment to the Conservative Administration budget to make it fairer and greener. In summary the amendment:

• Remove £120k from the Charging Policy for Homecare charges. Aim: To keep at scheme at 75% of income taken into consideration for disabled service users towards the cost of non residential Social Care.
• Remove £142k from Contract for Refuse and Recycling Collection. Aim: To keep the popular weekly recycling service as it is now and not have recycling collected fortnightly.
• Remove £49k from Cox Lane Recycling Centre and Street Recycling Pods. Aim: There should be a public review (we accept some pods can go) with an enhancement at some locations to promote the benefits of recycling to all. Cox Lane should not be removed – it is well used and popular.
• Remove £95k from LOHAC savings. Aim: More potholes can be filled and roads/pavements resurfaced.
• Remove from growth £286k Kingston Futures Programme to fund x5 policy planners. Aim: There is now £4.6m in the Kingston Futures Budget so funding for x 5 policy planners must be found elsewhere.
• Add in growth of £87k for London Living Wage. Aim: Introduce LLW from 1 Jan 2016 for all RBK employees.
• Add in growth of £10k for Children in Care – Kingston Children Fostering Panel Aim: To better understand needs of our looked after children with specific fund.

This amendment was voted down by all Conservative and Labour Councillors.

It was particularly disappointing that removing the homecare charges were not supported by Councillors. This proposed change is still out to consultation, so to put it into the budget is not right and prejudges the outcome of that consultation. At least Conservative Lead Member for Adult Services, Julie Pickering apologised for the awful way the consultation had been handled with letters only going out the day before the first meeting.

says Councillor Yogan Yoganathan, Shadow spokesperson for Adult Services.

It was our last chance to put back weekly recycling, but once again it was voted down by Labour and Conservatives.  As there was no consultation and no trial I don’t think most residents know that from January 2016 their glass, paper, card, tins and plastics will only be collected fortnightly.

says Councillor Diane White, St Mark’s Ward Councillor.

Surprisingly the Leader of the Labour Group, Councillor Linsey Cottingham, spoke against the London Living Wage element of the amendment saying that “we had a process to look at it and should stick to that”.  She didn’t seem to understand that without a budget you can introduce LLW this financial year.

says Councillor Liz Green, Leader of the Opposition.