SHAMELESS TORIES DO U-TURN ON RESIDENTIAL ROADS (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

Kirklees Liberal Democrats <info@kirkleeslibdems.org.uk>

SHAMELESS TORIES DO U-TURN ON RESIDENTIAL ROADS

September 27, 2006 12:00 AM

Post Code Politics is Taking Non-Tory Wards For Ride

Post Code Politics is Taking Non-Tory Wards For Ride -

The Lib Dem Group in Kirklees is disgusted by the shameless post code politics that has lead to the Tory Administration redirecting £4m to pay to improve highways in their own wards at the expense of needy residential roads across Kirklees.

Cllr Kath Pinnock (Lib Dem Leader) says: "This situation just goes to show that the Tories in Kirklees can't be trusted. In June, Cllr Light (Leader of the Tory Group) proposed to full council that the £4m should be spent on improving the neediest residential roads across the district and all the parties agreed. Cllr Light and the Tory Cabinet have now made a shameless u-turn on this issue, deciding that the cash should be spent improving 30 stretches of road, many of which are not residential and 22 of which just happen to be in wards where they have members".

Cllr Pinnock went on to announce: "The Lib Dem Group feels the council has been mislead by the Tory Group on this matter and has decided to call this decision in for scrutiny."

Cllr Pinnock went on to say: "The Lib Dem Group believes that the conservative's allocation of nearly 1.2m over two years to pay for improvements to the neediest residential roads in their wards is in line with what the council decided. However, we believe that the remaining amount shouldn't be spent on paying for A & B road improvements in their wards but on doing up the neediest residential roads in the other wards across Kirklees. This would be much fairer and was what all the parties agreed to do back in June when Cllr Light proposed it."

Cllr Pinnock went on to say: "I cannot believe that the Cllr Light and the Tories have done this. There is enough money in the capital plan to cover the repairs to the A & B roads if that is what they wanted to do. The fact that they have decided to rob the residential roads in the other wards to further bolster their reputation in areas where they have members is pretty transparent."