Call for re-think as £900k cut starts to bite

York’s Liberal Democrat councillors are calling on the council’s Labour administration to admit it made an error by cutting £900,000 from the budget for grass cutting and other frontline services without properly considering the impact on communities.

In their 2024/25 council budget, Labour made a £900k cut to the funding for service delivery across Place Directorate. The Liberal Democrat alternative budget sought to restore £370k to lessen the impact of the cuts, but this was voted down.

During the summer months there has been growing anger and frustration at the way in which the council manages verges and open spaces. Some areas that are meant to be mown regularly, such as recreation spaces and playgrounds, have not been mowed at the anticipated frequency, whilst other areas that are meant to be left for wildlife and wildflowers, have been decimated.

Cllr Paula Widdowson has called on the council’s Labour administration to take more pride in the city and look carefully at the impact of the £900k cut as it prepares its budget proposals for the next financial year.

Cllr Widdowson commented “The consequences of this funding cut have become very apparent to residents over recent months, and they are understandably unhappy. It comes to something when residents can’t safely get to where they need to be due to snickets and cycle paths being overgrown and hedges not being cut. But it didn’t have to be like this if Labour had accepted the Lib Dem budget amendment.

“We have had a lot of questions from residents about whether areas are being specifically managed for the benefit of nature, or whether it’s just neglect caused by the budget cuts. The staff teams who mow grass and cut hedges do a great job in difficult circumstances - it’s in their interests, and in the interests of local residents, for there to be a clearly-understood and properly funded plan which supports biodiversity whilst ensuring that spaces for play and recreation are properly maintained.

“Allocating areas for wildflowers is something that has strong support locally, but it has to be planned and managed properly – just letting grassed areas grow wild doesn’t constitute the creation of a wildflower meadow – it just looks a mess.”