News / Politics
Tories urge ‘more funding for basic services’ in revised budget
A senior Conservative councillor has welcomed what he calls “the temporary reprieve” over the closure threat to three Bristol museums but has raised reservations over the latest budget recommendations.
Mark Weston, who started a petition to save the museums, said he is “delighted that the nonsensical plan to close three museums has for the moment been put on hold” adding that the original proposals to mothball Blaise Museum, the Georgian House and the Red Lodge “represented an entirely false economy”.
Bristol’s Labour group leader Tom Renhard previously called the original proposals “clearly a terrible idea with no alternative safety measures identified (which) shouldn’t have been on the table to begin with”.
Weston added: “It is important to recognised that the future of these buildings and their collections remains uncertain. There can be no room for complacency.
“Consequently, I hope we are still able to get a debate started on this issue by triggering the petition threshold of 3,500 validated signatures. Many thanks to those who have already done so.
“So far as the latest budget report is concerned, there are still some real difficulties in it for my group, particularly around the introduction of or increases in parking charges.
“Furthermore, we would like to see much more attention given to funding basic council services around planning, pollution protection and neighbourhood enforcement.
“It is these kinds of things which really impact most households and deserve a much higher priority when it comes to spending commitments.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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