Monmouthshire County Council is consulting with residents ahead of its budget proposals deciding where taxpayers’ money goes next year.

The Conservative group has already stated that it will not be recommending to council, proposals for blue badge holders to pay at car parks and neither will they be taking forward proposals for parents to pay for the child care element included in the charge for breakfast clubs, according to a statement.

Recognising the need to help people of all ages with disabilities to modify their homes with adaptations, the Conservatives are again recommending putting another £300,000 into that fund next year.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Tory group said that despite the added burden of inflation, Labour-controlled Welsh Government has reduced Monmouthshire’s budget by another one per cent this year and vowed to protect schools against one per cent cut and should national negotiations lead to teachers receiving a pay rise, the Conservatives will recommend that MCC will absorb that cost, leaving the money in the hands of the schools for the benefit of their pupils, it stated.

Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor. Phil Murphy commented, “We have had so many years of funding reductions from the Welsh Government, it is extremely difficult to set budgets now without having an impact on services to the public. Despite that we try to respond to our priority services such as education and social care.”

Leader of the Council, Councillor Peter Fox (pictured) added, “It is particularly exasperating to battle with cuts imposed by Labour in Cardiff Bay whilst at the same time the Assembly is given an extra £2.3m to run their administration and the Welsh Government is holding over £300 million in reserve with no specific purpose.” ??