Historic cuts!
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Posts
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I was amused that the lead member for the Environment,in his spat with Ken Skates brought up a cut in the grant to bus services in the brief period in the last decade where there was “ a Labour led Council”.
Leaving aside that his current “ boss” Cllr Pritchard was deputy leader at the time and can’t avoid shared criticism he can not state categorically that it was this matter that was the sole determinant in the subsequent bus company closures.
I am further reminded that at a budget consideration at Council during this period that Cllr Bithell’s group , then in opposition moved a substantial cut to the Mayor’s allowances. Can we look forward to this being revived in future budget rounds?Andrew – based on what you have said then the cut by the Labour Welsh Government certainly occurred and appears to be defended by your lack of acknowledgement above..
You are right that there will be a variety of other reasons why bus companies have closed – a basic reason is that fewer people want to come into town with such a deteriorating town centre. A deterioration that was occurring when your Labour Party were part of the ruling group – or did this not occur under your watch?
Hi Council Watcher- as you say the cut to the bus subsidy in 2013-4 was indeed made and I acknowledge that. It was ,to my memory ,passed without protest by the whole council,including David Bithell’s Independent group , and any amendments such as cuts to the mayoralty did not include this item. I would further point out that the current Lead member for the Environment has had 4 subsequent budget rounds as either Deputy Leader or Lead Member to reverse this in whole or part but has neglected to do so.
As you say fewer people use certain bus routes and one factor may be the deteriorating town centre but as part of Labour leading Councils 1996-2005 and ( briefly) May 2012-September 2014 a few steps were taken . A new bus station in the early years ,replacing a series of stand that had festered for aeons, new inner and outer link roads, the start of the Western gateway and the development of the new Asda site and Eagles Meadow to replace this.
In my opinion there are many factors for town centre deterioration,not unique to Wrexham- internet shopping – the world wide crash – the current Uk government’s solution for this of increased austerity ( if you have not got the money you can’t ( or shouldn’t) spend it.) However one Local factor that certainly does not help is the downgrading of Wrexham’s Economic Development department in the past few years.Andrew you are missing the fundamentals about the transport grant cut — it was not in the gift of the Council to pass or and as it has been separate funding stream from Labour WG. The Council no matter who was ruling had no choice but to accept what was being offered 0 so, therefore, amendments to budgets. Unsure of why the link is to the Mayoralty budget.
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