Brighton and Hove Tories eye Labour support for council tax freeze

Brighton and Hove Conservatives have pledged to vote for a council tax freeze tomorrow and are calling on Labour councillors to support the move.

Other key measures being pushed by the Tories include restricting the proposed rise in annual charges for business parking permits to £200 instead of £300.

And putting up traders parking permits to £400 rather than £600 while making more available.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, the opposition Conservative group leader, also said that his party would try to restore half a day’s opening at both Hangleton and Portslade community libraries.

And the Tories would try to reduce the Greens’ proposed increase in allotment fees as well as keeping open all the seafront public toilets that are earmarked for closure.

The party has put forward a number of amendments to the budget which they hope will be discussed at a council meeting tomorrow (Thursday 23 February).

Councillor Theobald said: “We have done everything we can for residents to soften the impact of the Greens’ budget proposals, in particular, their stubborn and politically motivated failure to accept the government’s grant that would enable a council tax freeze.

“We have argued for a freeze from the outset.

“And, since the Greens announced their intention to raise council tax by 3.5 per cent for the next three years, we have consistently told them that we would oppose this.

“I hope that the Labour Group will now support us in overturning this regressive rise – residents deserve nothing less.”

The Tories said that they would prefer to save an additional £1.2 million to qualify for the one-off £3 million grant from the coalition government to enable a council tax freeze.