SNP councillors are bidding to reverse the decision to close Kilbowie outdoor centre following the announcement that North Lanarkshire Council is to receive an extra £6 million from the Scottish Government. Opposition group leader Tom Johnston says they will be calling for a special council meeting to determine how the money is spent – and that they will also look to revisit budget decision to charge community alarm users, introduce car parking charges, review the authority’s music service and cut its road safety team. North Lanarkshire is to receive an additional £6.045 million in funding from Holyrood, announced when the Scottish Government’s amended budget passed its first stage last week. It came days after the local authority had balanced its books for the year ahead with £31m of savings which included the maximum permissible 4.84 per cent council tax rise, reintroducing community alarm charges, increasing costs for special uplifts and burials, and cancelling Monklands’ fireworks displays and Christmas lights. The controversial decision to close Kilbowie – which provides week-long outdoor education courses for Primary Seven pupils from across North Lanarkshire – was taken at a policy and strategy meeting in January and was opposed by SNP group members, who did not include the £818,000 saving in their budget proposition. Councillor Johnston said today: “Thanks to the Scottish Government, North Lanarkshire will now see an additional £6.045m on top of the funding already committed for local government. “When the use of one-off resources is excluded, this will allow for the reversal of £3m worth of savings made by this Labour administration in this financial year. “I have agreed with my group that we will call for a special meeting of the council to consider the action to be taken to spend this additional money. “This is £3m which could be used to stop the closure of Kilbowie, reverse the decision to charge £3.40 for community alarms, reverse the decision to cease road safety provision and halt the review of music provision.” Depute leader Jordan Linden added: “The Scottish Government’s budget is a good deal for North Lanarkshire for Scotland. “North Lanarkshire will benefit from our share of an extra £95m for local government, with an extra £6.045m of investment, which could help reverse some of this Labour administration’s choices.” The first £3m of the additional Holyrood funding will be used to replenish the same amount taken from the council’s reserve funds to balance the books, as agreed by all parties on budget day. Council leader Jim Logue said: “Any additional money is always welcome, and it’s not ring-fenced meaning that each local authority is flexible in the way it wants to spend, which I’m delighted about; but while I welcome this, there are some caveats. “The additional £6m still leaves us with a gap of £24m, and we need clarity on whether this is one-off funding or whether it’s included in future years.” Sp
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SNP councillors are bidding to reverse the decision to close Kilbowie outdoor centre following the announcement that North Lanarkshire Council is to receive an extra £6 million from the Scottish Government. Opposition group leader Tom Johnston says they will be calling for a special council meeting to determine how the money is spent – and that they will also look to revisit budget decision to charge community alarm users, introduce car parking charges, review the authority’s music service and cut its road safety team. North Lanarkshire is to receive an additional £6.045 million in funding from Holyrood, announced when the Scottish Government’s amended budget passed its first stage last week. It came days after the local authority had balanced its books for the year ahead with £31m of savings which included the maximum permissible 4.84 per cent council tax rise, reintroducing community alarm charges, increasing costs for special uplifts and burials, and cancelling Monklands’ fireworks displays and Christmas lights. The controversial decision to close Kilbowie – which provides week-long outdoor education courses for Primary Seven pupils from across North Lanarkshire – was taken at a policy and strategy meeting in January and was opposed by SNP group members, who did not include the £818,000 saving in their budget proposition. Councillor Johnston said today: “Thanks to the Scottish Government, North Lanarkshire will now see an additional £6.045m on top of the funding already committed for local government. “When the use of one-off resources is excluded, this will allow for the reversal of £3m worth of savings made by this Labour administration in this financial year. “I have agreed with my group that we will call for a special meeting of the council to consider the action to be taken to spend this additional money. “This is £3m which could be used to stop the closure of Kilbowie, reverse the decision to charge £3.40 for community alarms, reverse the decision to cease road safety provision and halt the review of music provision.” Depute leader Jordan Linden added: “The Scottish Government’s budget is a good deal for North Lanarkshire for Scotland. “North Lanarkshire will benefit from our share of an extra £95m for local government, with an extra £6.045m of investment, which could help reverse some of this Labour administration’s choices.” The first £3m of the additional Holyrood funding will be used to replenish the same amount taken from the council’s reserve funds to balance the books, as agreed by all parties on budget day. Council leader Jim Logue said: “Any additional money is always welcome, and it’s not ring-fenced meaning that each local authority is flexible in the way it wants to spend, which I’m delighted about; but while I welcome this, there are some caveats. “The additional £6m still leaves us with a gap of £24m, and we need clarity on whether this is one-off funding or whether it’s included in future years.” Sp
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