THE DEPUTY leader of the town’s Independence Alliance Group (IAG) said its budget would give back more than £1.1million over the next three years to local communities which were being overlooked by a council which focused on central Bromsgrove.
The main differences include the cash generated by the Government’s New Homes Bonus (NHB) scheme and the new Dolphin Centre.
Whereas the Conservative pledged £87,000 from the NHB for community projects, the independents would put aside £406,000 for 2015/16, £389,000 for 2016/17 and £421,000 for 2017/18.
Coun Colella said the Conservative budget used £4million of NHB money, along with a further £1.5million from surpluses in the council’s coffers all to pay for town centre development when the district should be looked at in its entirety.
“As independents we support the town in its aspirations to bring back much-needed investment and business but not at the total expense of the NHB and tax burden.
“Nothing is coming out of the town and places like Alvechurch, Wythall, Barnt Green and Hagley are left to fend for themselves with no district council support yet at least half of the NHB and tax receipts are generated from these places,” said Coun Steve Colella.
And, after the presentation of the document last Wednesday (February 25), Coun Colella said he would ask for the £11.5million demolition and rebuild of the Dolphin Centre to be reviewed, claiming the loan would take decades to pay back.
“The cost of borrowing will be crippling and NHB destined for areas where development has been most prominent has been blocked.
“We tried to highlight that the Dolphin Centre, the move to Parkside and investment in the town centre will cost the district’s taxpayers at least £16million.”
Coun Colella concluded by warning that ‘politics would kill Bromsgrove’.
“The majority ruling party won the day by out voting the alternative budgets presented by the Independent Alliance and the Labour Group.
“Our Group lost the vote not on the merits of the alternative budget but because the Tory Group followed the political whip.
“We have no whip and worked on our budget free of political posturing.
“I repeat the call it really is time for a change.”
