Council tax hike and job cuts confirmed for Kirklees, as Labour and Tories push budget through
Councillors met yesterday - and debated next year's financial plans long into the night
After a long night at Huddersfield Town Hall, Kirklees Council reached a decision on its budget, with Labour and the Tories pushing the final plans through.
Going into the meeting were Labour’s budget plans, plus three amendments put forward by the Conservative, Lib Dem and Community Alliance Groups. Leader of the Council, Councillor Carole Pattison, acknowledged that “difficult decisions” had been made when producing the budget in order to avoid the fate of other local authorities which have required government bailouts.
Introducing Labour’s proposals, she said: “It’s a budget that turns a corner for Kirklees and it will help us to get the basics right and it will invest in the future for families and communities across Kirklees. After years of uncertainty across local government, we have the opportunity tonight to fix the foundations of our budget.”
The group’s plan set out £11m worth of savings, with these primarily coming from reducing administrative costs, maintaining a freeze on recruitment to many council jobs, and efficiencies that have the “lowest possible” impact on frontline services., A 4.99 per cent Council Tax increase was also agreed and up to 100 Full Time Equivalent posts at risk of redundancy.
Elsewhere, the budget includes an extra £63m to pay for increasing demand and costs for vital services like social care for older residents and local children who need support and protection. Half a million pounds was agreed for winter maintenance and some unpopular proposals like a reduction in the size of grey bins and making community-run libraries, were axed.
The budget also sets out the council’s £1.4bn programme of investment across Kirklees which covers projects like the Huddersfield Blueprint and Cultural Heart, Dewsbury Blueprint and the regeneration of Kirklees’ smaller Towns and Villages. Cllr Pattison said this was the council’s “best defence” against the next cost of living crisis.
The amendments from the opposition shared several common themes including dissatisfaction in the level of investment being put into Huddersfield compared to other parts of the borough. Each amendment sought to drastically reduce the final phase of the Cultural Heart – the venue and car park – or throw it out altogether.
The Lib Dem and Community Alliance amendments shared concerns about the risks associated with the George Hotel project, with the latter saying there is “no guarantee” that Radisson won’t pull out, leaving the council with a “white elephant”. And all three groups wanted to see Cleckheaton Town Hall back up and running, and a leisure centre for Dewsbury.
For Labour’s budget motion or any of the amendments to pass, a majority needed to be reached across all 69 councillors, but when it came to the vote, every single one fell. This saw the meeting adjourned and groups split into break-out rooms to negotiate and come up with alternative amendments.
After more than three hours of discussions, the new Tory amendment was set out by Group Leader, Cllr David Hall, which he hoped would gain support from “all corners” of the chamber.
The amendment cut back several elements of the group’s original proposals, with the cost of a Kirklees-wide one-off clean up reduced, and money committed for a Christmas bin collection this year, subject to agreement that it is “feasible” at the time. It was hoped this would continue in the years to follow.
Money for a feasibility study to look at the future of Dewsbury Sports Centre was removed from the group’s initial amendment, as was a £10m investment in the town’s leisure provision suggested for 2029/30. Councillor Hall said he had been ‘assured’ by Leader of the Council, Cllr Carole Pattison, that work is ongoing to identify the needs of Dewsbury in terms of its leisure facilities, with Cabinet to come up with a plan for a replacement “in good time”.
The group left some cash in the budget for phase five of Huddersfield’s Cultural Heart which covers the venue and multi-storey car park, rather than axing it completely. A £7.5m investment for Cleckheaton Town Hall was also kept in the plan but this will begin from 2026/27, rather than 2025/26.
One of the measures to make savings from the original proposals which had proved controversial was a reduction in the council’s contribution to paid time off for council staff to perform trade union duties. However, this was axed from the final amendment. Instead, cash will be used from a pot of reserves with “over-provision”, that will later be replenished.
The new Lib Dem amendment was then introduced by Group Leader, Cllr John Lawson. This kept an investment in Cleckheaton Town Hall that would begin in 2025/26. A £10,000 annual increase in ward budgets also remained in the plan, and £15m left for phase 5 of the Cultural Heart.
The Community Alliance took a different approach, with Group Leader, Cllr Cathy Scott, reaffirming the group’s commitment to its initial amendment, making just minor changes.
After the new amendments had been read out there was set to be a debate but Deputy Leader of the Conservatives, Cllr John Taylor, proposed that members proceed straight to the vote, with this agreed through a Labour and Tory majority. Soon after, another majority of Labour and Tory members supported Labour’s budget with the Conservative amendments, and this was passed by 38 votes to 26.