Labour run Ipswich Borough Council - a budget for jobs and growth

At the end of the month, Ipswich Borough Council will vote on the first Labour budget for 8 years, certain Tory and Lib Dem commentators were already stating that they thought we would raise Council tax, but even with the cut in grants from the Tory/Lib Dem national government we have managed to freeze council tax.

But we have also manged to produce a budget for jobs and growth, these are the key points;

1. First Labour budget for 8 years
2. A Budget For Jobs and Growth
a) Major investment in jobs and skills
b) First new council houses in over 20 years
3. No cuts to frontline services
4. A freeze in council tax

The establishment of a £1.5million Jobs and Skills Investment Fund. A report to the March Executive will set out how this Fund will focus on:

Up-front and one-off investment in initiatives that will support jobs and skills issues in the next year

Initiatives that would provide a return and enable the creation of a revolving fund

Initiatives that the Council would support over a number of years;

A £5 million a year programme for the provision of new affordable housing – mainly via the construction of the first new council houses in Ipswich in 20 years.

A £1 million revolving fund to bring empty homes back into use;

Reintroduction of renovation grants to support improvements to homes in the private sector.