Greens win concessions in budget deal

4th February 2008

The Green Party has agreed to support the Labour budget after negotiating extra funding in key areas.

Cllr Jillian Creasy said, “Our main concern about the budget was that it should not involve any cuts to services, and we will be holding Labour to this. Thanks to the balance of power situation, we have been able to get a greener budget for Sheffield. The Labour administration has agreed to include proposals in each of the Green Party’s key policy areas. We approached the budget in a cooperative way in order to get some results on the ground rather than oppose for opposition’s sake.”

Cllr Bernard Little said, “Thanks to the Green Party, this year’s budget will include funding for a citywide bus service on New Year’s Day and improvements for pedestrians. There will also be better recycling facilities and more help and advice for people to lower their energy bills. We have also secured more help for small locally owned businesses adversely affected by the rapid development of the city centre. We believe these tangible achievements will benefit the people of Sheffield and the environment.”

Notes

The details of the proposed 2008/9 budget will be included in a report to Cabinet on 13th February and taken Full Council on 7th March.

The Green Party in Sheffield has just two Councillors out of 84 but, alongside the one Tory and one Independent, holds the balance of power between Labour (41 seats) and Lib Dems (39 seats). Green Party councillors elsewhere in the country (for instance Kirklees, Lewisham, London Assembly, Oxford) have taken a similar approach, negotiating with larger parties in order to get green proposals into their local budgets.

ENDS

CONTACT

Cllr Jillian Creasy mob 07743 675 650

For more information, contact Kathy Aston , Press Officer;

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