City budget passes with council tax rise and cuts

Peterborough City Council has voted in favour of the budget plans, which will axe the city centre's fountains

A cash-strapped city council has unanimously voted in favour of a 5% council tax rise, a review to school crossing patrols and the loss of the city centre's fountains, as part of its budget for next year.

Peterborough City Council leader Mohammed Farooq said he was "delighted" the budget passed on Wednesday night with cross-party support, despite the challenges ahead.

He also vowed that no community group would be left "homeless", as the council continues to comb through its assets to identify what could be sold off.

The authority faces growing budget gaps in future years and must continue work to reduce its debt, which currently exceeds £400m.

Peterborough City Council leader Mohammed Farooq said he was "delighted" with the unanimous vote on Wednesday night

Doubling the number of city centre enforcement officers is also part of the budget plans for the coming financial year.

Mr Farooq, of Peterborough First, said turning off the fountains presented the opportunity to revitalise the city centre.

In a public poll last summer, 60% of people favoured them being switched off to save money.

Councils across the country are bound by law to pass a balanced budget every year before the start of the new financial year, starting in April.

Mr Farooq told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "I'm immensely proud of my cabinet and particularly [deputy leader] John Howard.

"This was a journey where there was a large amount of animosity between us and the Conservatives, but they came along on the journey and it's a tribute to the cabinet, John and every member frankly who's contributed towards this budget."

Mr Howard, also from Peterborough First, presented the budget as a cabinet member for finance.

He said the budget vote was "probably the biggest test of us as a new administration", and it was a "real relief" it passed.

Mayor Nick Sandford, of the Liberal Democrats, said he could not ever remember seeing everyone united on a budget vote, having been a councillor since the mid-1990s.

Mohammed Farooq (left) said he was "proud of his cabinet and particularly John Howard (right)", who delivered the Peterborough budget

When Peterborough First considered undertaking a vote of no confidence in the previous Conservative administration last year, having enough support to pass the budget was one of the main factors the group had to consider.

As well as winning the support of Labour and the Liberal Democrats - who have never voted in favour of a budget in Peterborough before - the budget was also approved by the Conservatives.

Former council leader Wayne Fitzgerald, of the Conservatives, said it would be "stupid and churlish" not to support it, not least because his party was working on it until Peterborough First took over the council in November.

He also said people in the city were "furious" Peterborough First took over after many of them resigned from the Conservative group and formed the new administration, calling them "ballot box dodgers" and "pound shop politicians".