Lib Dems fight Council grant cuts.

Serena Tierney, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Mid Sussex , has written to local Tory and Labour councillors urging them to vote for the Lib Dem amendment to the MSDC budget to save the funding of Citizens Advice Bureaux, Age Concern and Bluebird Community Transport.

"The vote on Wednesday evening will make a vast difference to thousands of people in Mid Sussex. One person in four locally has used the CAB at some time. For many it is the only source of help when they cannot solve a problem. As a former CAB Chair, I know only too well how desperate people can feel when faced with housing, debt or benefit problems - and how often they can be resolved with the help of a trained CAB volunteer.

"Liberal Democrat councillors are doing all they can to save the funding for the CABx. I hope that on this occasion councillors from the other parties will put party politics to one side and vote in favour of retaining the grant to our local CAB service at its present level."

Cllr Stephen Barnett reports: "The proposal is to fund the restoration of the grants by implementing charges at selected village car parks which are abused by commuters. This was originally supported by an all party committee but taken out at the last minute by the Tory cabinet all of whose members represent villages." Meantime a 50% increase in some Town Centre car park charges is still to go ahead.

NOTES

Proposals:

1. To reinstate the village car park charges in an estimated sum of £30,000 income for a full year.

2. to add back £30,000 in grants to voluntary organisations with a recommendation to cabinet that this be shared appropriately between The Citizen's Advice Bureau, Bluebird and Age Concern to mitigate the insurmountable threats to the future of these organisations by such a sudden withdrawal of funds.

This will not change the Council Tax levels proposed at all.