Money for Repairs

[Tim Godsmark]

On the 13th January there was a full City Council meeting where Sue Pearson, your local Common Councillor, proposed a motion that the repairs programme for all the City Estates be accelerated by using some of the City’s financial reserves. 

The repairs programme is moving incredibly slowly even by the City’s standards with the last 5 year plan being inadequately funded while the Estates decay and tenants live in unacceptable conditions. 

The City has a fund called City Cash which has reserves of £2.6 billion. They have dedicated £50 million of this money to support small business during the pandemic but nothing to support residents. £37 million of this money has not been spent and Sue suggested that, as a start, it might be a good idea to redirect this to Estate repairs.

At the Council meeting discussion of the motion was cut short by a point of order and the the motion to speed up repair of your Estates was lost by 75 votes to 19. A supportive councillor, Graeme Harrower, has written a report of the meeting at the link below:

https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fr...

He has also, usefully, made a record of which way councillors voted and perhaps electors would like to think about this when casting their votes in the elections in March. 80% of councillors are elected by businesses and 20% by residents. This split is reflected in the vote.

[Christine Clifford]

The link takes me to a Word doc I think then nothing. I think it’s appalling that the City thinks so little of its residents. It’s time the business vote was abolished.