Don't axe the Street Wardens (Swindon Liberal Democrats)

Swindon Liberal Democrats <info@swindonlibdems.org>

Don't axe the Street Wardens

December 1, 2004 12:00 AM

Liberal Democrats are campaigning to save the Street Wardens in Swindon from the funding squeeze being imposed by the axe-waving Tories and a nervous Labour Council group.

A report to the Services to the Community Commission by a Labour councillor suggests the future funding of Street Wardens could be paid for out of a 50p levy on the poorest communities in the Borough of Swindon.

http://ww2.swindon.gov.uk/moderngov/mgConvert2PDF.asp?ID=2362

Councillor Stan Pajak, (Lib Dem Eastcott) says:

"I am quite horrified that a Labour Councillor is suggesting that people who live in the poorer wards in the town, pay extra money for wardens to patrol their area to keep them safe.

"A 50p a week subsidy equates to £26.00 a year - that is potentially a weeks shopping of basic food-stuffs for the average hard working family.

"If this argument is taken to its logical lengths then people who live in Old Town should pay an extra £5 a month for the Arts Centre, or people living in north Swindon subsidise traffic schemes at the Orbital shopping centre in Abbey Meads. Residents who live in West Swindon would certainly complain if they were charged extra on their Council tax to re-decorate the Link Centre. These suggestions are ridiculous, and so is asking poor communities to subsidise an essential council service such as Street Wardens.

The Street Warden scheme in the Parks and Walcot housing estates of town has been one of the success stories of Swindon over recent years. Even the government consider the Swindon project as one of the best in the UK, locating their national Resource and Training Centre for wardens in our town.

But Cllr Mavis Childs, a Labour councillor for the Walcot ward, suggests funding will soon dry up when the government ends its subsidy. The project would be doomed to closure fears the Labour councillor.

Labour hit poorest residents?

Councillor Pajak continued:

"Swindon Borough Council should operate as a united council where all services are paid from one single pot. That single pot is called 'Council Tax' - its not the best way to fund local services, Liberal Democrats favour a local income tax. But for the moment, it is the only way to fund local services.

"This idea of subsidy funding is a knee-jerk reaction to Tory proposed cuts of Swindon Council services. It's poorly thought out and hits the poorest residents of the Borough."

"Other suggestions that Council Tenants subsidise this scheme through a £100,000 raid on the Housing Revenue Account, the weekly rent paid by Council tenants, is not just absurd - it's probably illegal."

Councillor Stan Pajak proposed an amendment to delete the 50p levy recommendation from the final report before it is sent to the Conservative-run Cabinet in mid-December.

this story appeared in the local press http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/archive/2004/11/29/swindon_news13ZM.html