Aberdeen budget: Parking permit rise, bus lane fines to increase and council tax frozen

Aberdeen City Council has set its budget for the upcoming year as it aimed to fill a £25 million funding gap.

Bus lane fines will be increasing from £60 to £100 and city residents will see a 5% increase on their parking permits.

Crowds of protestors stood outside the Town House prior to the crunch meeting chanting "no more cuts".

The SNP Liberal Democrat partnership hailed their budget as one which focuses on the "key services Aberdonians depend on" as they made some difficult decisions this afternoon.

Council tax freeze

Lib Dem council co-leader Ian Yuill said a council tax freeze "makes sense" this year, after the Scottish Government announced funding equivalent to a 5% rise.

£6.9 million will be provided to the local authority - meaning council tax will not go up in April.

Speaking after the meeting, SNP Councillor Alex McLellan said: "I am pleased the SNP Lib Dem budget was passed, it protects frontline services for citizens and delivers a council tax freeze for everyone in our city.

"This council tax freeze protects households from ever-rising bills during a cost-of-living crisis so I think it will be welcomed by people across our city."

Roads

In a bid to claw back some cash, fines for entering a bus lane will almost double with an increase from £60 to £100.

Permission was granted by Transport Scotland to implement the rise and the money accumulated from the penalties will be used to fund the Kingswells bus service after operators claimed it was no longer financially viable.

People who live in the city might not be so thrilled about parking permits going up after last year's increase.

This year, they have been hiked up by 5% in a bid to recover £269,000.

A 'park for a pound' initiative will be introduced for off-street parking, charging drivers £1 after 5pm for a 6-month period in a bid to boost the night-time economy in Aberdeen.

The Berryden Road road project has been shelved which has been in the works for a number of years aimed at tackling traffic congestion in the area.

Delaying this project will save the council £720,000.

Schools and education

The budget for education remained protected, Lib Dem councillor Martin Greig, also the convenor of the Education and Children's Service Committee, said the party "put a ring of steel around education".

The council also agreed on a freeze on school meals for the upcoming year.

£17 million has been allocated for the refurbishment of Ferryhill Primary School which will benefit on improvements similar to St Peters' RC School.

Tackling poverty in Aberdeen

The Anti-poverty and Inequality Committee will benefit from £1 million to help tackle poverty and assist with the cost-of-living crisis in Aberdeen.

Before discussions on the budget got underway, the Labour party suggested abolishing the committee claiming it is ineffective.

Independent councillor Barney Crockett went as far to say the committee was like a cucumber - "a vegetable with no purpose".

SNP councillors noted this is the fourth time Labour has attempted to abolish the committee and the amendment to scrap the committee was not voted through.

Funding for the Fairer Aberdeen Fund will also continue, with £1.54 million designated to the organisation which tackled poverty and deprivation in the city.

Waste bin charge scrapped

Charges on garden waste bins will be removed - meaning garden waste will be collected for free as of 1 September, replacing the charge of £30.

The charge will remain for a second and third bin.

Sports facilities and culture venues

Sport Aberdeen's funding will be left untouched with additional funding provided for the recommissioning of Bucksburn Swimming Pool.

Culture budgets were also left alone with Aberdeen Performing Arts to continue to receive its core grant £710,000 and a further £175,000 to support festivals including Granite Noir.

Belmont Cinema will also be given a boost of £50k - its currently going through a huge fundraising effort to reopen its doors after being taken over by new operators last year.

However, funding to Spectra will be reduced as the popular light festival will now receive support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

£500k will be also be given to the Union Street Empty Shops Grant Scheme which aims to tackle vacant shop units on our high street.