Cabinet meeting this evening with the Budget and Air Quality proposals on the agenda
Council leader @nick_forbes opens the meeting by paying tribute to councillors Nora Casey and Kim McGuinness who have resigned from the council newcastle.gov.uk/citylife-news/…
@nickforbes also wishes a speedy recovery to three Lib Dem members who were involved in a car accident last week
He is now introducing the Budget proposals newcastle.gov.uk/citylife-news/… which the Cabinet is being asked to agree for consultation
He talks of capital plans to invest in the Grainger Marekt while the council is one of the best in the country for delivering on housing.
A neighbourhood task force will be mobilised using one-off spending to help clean up parts of the city
@nick_forbes added hat the best balanced proposals were being put to residents given the difficult circumstances in which has they have been drawn up
Chief Executive Pat Ritchie said there was increased demand and cost pressures on social care and looked after children while there remains uncertainty over local government funding.
She said the additional money was one-off and a prudent approach was required. Ms Ritchie said the budget going out to consultation matched ambitions for investment while providing high-performing, value for money services.
@kags6811 Cabinet member for health and social care expressed concern at the lack of a national plan for social care which was urgently needed and to be funded appropriately, despite the PM saying it was a priority
@nick_forbes said the blame for continued cuts lay at the Tory Government's door and adding precept to pay for social care to council tax was unfair and unsustainable. Cabinet agreed to put the Budget proposals to public consultation.
@nick_forbes Deputy Leader @joycemccarty has presented the council's latest performance which is projecting an overspend of £4.9m which is largely driven by the pressures of social care democracy.newcastle.gov.uk/documents/s153…
Cllr Nick Cott raised concerns about falling numbers at museums. @GedBell said Stephenson's Rocket had skewed the figures the year before. He urged everyone to get involved in the cultural conversation newcastle.gov.uk/citylife-news/…
@nick_forbes @arleneainsley introduces the council's proposals for air quality measures following extensive public consultation. The proposal doesn't include charging private cars but it cannot be ruled out for the future newcastle.gov.uk/citylife-news/…
@arleneainsley said it was important to balance public health with economic concerns with funding required in infrastructure and supporting those affected by the measures
There are also plans to reduce traffic in the vicinity of schools as well as an extensive of the cycling network.
Lib Dem Cllr Colin Fergusom asked if the councillor would be fined if the Government didn't fund the Tyne Bridge improvements
@arleneainsley said mitigation measures would depend on the funding from Government. @nick_forbes said the Government was approaching the issue with a stick rather than carrots to help both the council and its residents
@nick_forbes said he wanted to meet with Government ministers to talk about the proposals affecting most of the major cities in the UK
It requires significant Government funding to reverse the policies which have driven people into cars rather than public transport.
Cabinet agreed to the report democracy.newcastle.gov.uk/documents/s153… which will now go to full council
@nick_forbes closed the meeting by paying tribute to Director of People Ewen Weir who is leaving the council this week after a long and distinguished career
