Opponents critical of Tory budget

1:42pm Tuesday 24th February 2004

NEXT year's Tory budget has been branded uninspiring and unimaginative by opponents.

Supported by Labour, Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Chris Maines also described a refusal to continue regeneration funding for deprived areas as disappointing.

He also repeated Lib Dem calls for a rethink of the council tax system.

Cllr Maines said: "It's a tax we all accept is unfair because it hits the poorest. But it's still disappointing we haven't been a little bit more creative.

"This is uninspiring and lacks imagination."

Councillors voted on Monday night to increase council tax by 6.94 per cent, to fund £107 million of the authority's £300 million annual budget.

Last week, the ruling executive said the council's share of the levy should rise by 6.7 per cent, on top of a 7.5 per cent increase in the precept set by Ken Livingstone's Greater London Authority.

Ranging from £690 a year for the cheapest properties to more than £2,000 for the most expensive, average bills will be more than £1,000 in Bromley for the first time.

Opposition councillors were outvoted on amendments to add in £300,000 to set up a regeneration fund for when Government schemes in Crystal Palace and the Crays run out in April.