Local residents across the City of Salford are set to pay around £1200 a year if Labour plans for a Congestion Charge around Manchester are given the go-ahead.
People will be asked to vote on whether they want the new charge in a postal vote. Salford suffers badly under the proposals - residents will have to pay the charge but plans show that the local area will miss out on any significant transport improvements.
At around £1200 a year, the new charge will be a further blow to local residents already struggling with higher fuel, food and road tax.
You will shortly be receiving your ballot paper for the referendum by post. The final deadline is December 11th - post your vote early!
Local Conservative Councillors and activists were out and about again this weekend, talking to local residents across the City about Labour’s proposals for a Congestion Charge Tax.
Conservative activists spent the morning in Swinton and then joined local Councillors Liz Hill and Lyn Bramer-Kelly to discuss C-Charge concerns with local residents in Irlam and Cadishead. Hundreds more people added their names to the Conservative petition opposing the introduction of Labour’s Congestion Charge.
Hundreds of local residents from across the City have signed the Salford Conservative petition against Labour’s Congestion Charge tax, after local Conservative campaigners visited the town centres at Eccles and Walkden on Saturday.
Conservative Councillors and local campaigners spent time in both Eccles and Walkden talking to shoppers and listening to their concerns about the proposed congestion charge tax and the lack of investment in Salford contained within the TIF bid.
Residents will have the opportunity to register their objection to Labour’s Congestion Charge tax in a poll at the end of the month. Ballot papers will be posted out at the end of November and need to be returned by December 11th for the votes to be counted.
Salford Conservatives are campaigning for a “no” vote - residents should vote no and reject the Congestion Charge tax!
Salford’s Labour Council have come under renewed pressure after committing £150000 of taxpayers’ money to reintroduce the pink ice-skating rink at the Civic Centre in December.
The total cost of bringing the Pink Rink back to Swinton is a staggering £185087. The Council’s own figures suggest that this can be partly offset by sponsorship (£28000) and ticket sales (£37000) which leaves a shortfall of £119587 which will need to be picked up by the Council taxpayer.
In addition, the £28000 sponsorship money includes a pledge of £10000 from Urban Vision which is partly owned by the Council; the Council is effectively sponsoring itself, a decision Conservative Councillors described as “ludicrous”.
The Council is also in the process of seeking sponsorship from Salix Homes which is 100% owned by Salford City Council. The other agreed sponsors are the Primary Care Trust and Greater Manchester Police Authority so the entirely of the £28000 sponsorship will be picked up by the taxpayer one way or another.
So between the budget shortfall and the “sponsorship” the total cost to the Salford taxpayer of the ice rink will be £147587. Salford Conservatives do not object to the principle of the ice rink nor to spending on Christmas activities but in this instance the costs far outweigh the benefits.
Don’t Be Conned By Labour’s C-Charge Tax
Leader comment by Cllr Karen Garrido - original published in the Salford Advertiser.
At the September meeting of the Council, the Leader of the Council stated that:
He went on to say that Salford support was conditional on further examination of three aspects:
The Labour leadership has failed on these conditions. They have backed down and they are still in the YES campaign corner.
Continue reading ‘Don’t Be Conned By Labour’s C-Charge Tax’