‘Stalemate’ as mayor postpones decision on budget

Bristol City Council’s annual budget is in limbo after Marvin Rees postponed a decision on whether to accept a raft of changes secured by opposition groups.

A meeting of full council lasting four-and-three-quarter hours on Tuesday ended abruptly when the mayor exercised his right to take up to five working days to either incorporate the amendments or reject them.

It is the first time this has happened under the mayoral system in Bristol and means a second meeting of all councillors is now required, on March 2.

Five of the nine alternative sets of proposals to the Labour mayor’s budget were voted through – four tabled by the Greens and one by Knowle Community Party, while both the Tories’ and Lib Dems’ plans failed to get a majority in favour.

Two of the successful Green amendments won the support of Labour and signalled potentially embarrassing U-turns by the ruling group, including the prospect of having to reverse the proposal to scrap 30 minutes’ free parking in residents’ parking zones (RPZs), with money instead to come from higher fees after the first half hour.

These also included more traffic-free “school streets” schemes, at least one new RPZ and 18 more traffic wardens.

Other suggestions were voted through by opposition members but did not receive the backing of the Labour group, which lost its overall majority in last May’s local elections, and so might be less likely to be accepted by the mayor, who must make a decision by Tuesday, February 22.

Among these proposals were reopening public toilets – an amendment Rees branded “really disappointing” because it took money away from the mayor’s office and council’s PR budget. There was also a £4m of investment in parks and local neighbourhoods and, from Knowle Community Party, a £280,000 borrowing facility for the new community management company of Jubilee Pool.

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After the meeting, Rees said: “This was, first and foremost, a housing budget. It included £1.8billion for council homes, providing funding for 2,000 council homes, £80m to improve energy efficiency and £12.5m funding for tenants to upgrade their bathrooms.

“We look forward to the second budget meeting after we’ve had time to consider the measures they put forward. I hope councillors acknowledge how important this budget is for Bristol and won’t stand in the way of £3.8billion worth of investment.”

Green group leader Heather Mack said: “After repeatedly stressing the importance of setting a budget the mayor has now opted to end tonight’s budget meeting before it could vote on and set a budget approved by the majority of councillors, leaving the council waiting, perhaps until next week, to hear whether he will accept some, all or none of the amendments councillors have voted for.”

Mack said it is disappointing that the mayor is even considering ignoring the amendments that have been agreed by the majority of Bristol’s elected councillors – including by those in his own party. She argued it is an example of why the mayoral system should be replaced.

The Green councillor for Lockleaze added that if the mayor takes on board the Green amendments “there will be the numbers in the council chamber to pass a better, fairer budget for Bristol, that allows the council to avoid making some of the worst cuts planned and makes the city safer and more accessible for everyone”.

Conservative group leader Mark Weston said: “It is sad and disappointing that the suggested alternative savings and spending commitments voted through today have not been accepted by the mayor and that we have reached a stalemate.”

Weston added: “He [Rees] ought to reach out to his political rivals, really strive for consensus and strike some accommodation with them over improving his original budget.  In the end, it is in all of our interests to ensure that this impasse is resolved.”

Adam Postans is a local democracy reporter for Bristol 

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read more: Open letter demands public toilets are reopened in Bristol 

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