New Labour rulers revise spending priorities for city

SPENDING priorities at one of Yorkshire’s biggest councils are to be changed by its new Labour administration in what leaders said was a £2m move to “stand up” for Sheffield citizens.

Labour leader Julie Dore, who swept to power last month taking nine seats from the Liberal Democrats, said community safety and services for children and families would benefit.

Coun Dore said her measures would also encourage business growth and investment and boost training opportunities for young people in the city.

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She added: “We’ve decided that the authority had to restore funding to areas that matter to local people and that give us the ability to deliver the right kind of services in the right way with the support of local people.”

Coun Dore said key areas financed as part of the changes include a £500,000 scheme to create apprenticeships for young people aged 16 to 19 and a £50,000 fund for trainee and apprenticeship posts within the council.

The council will also pay for 10 full-time police community support officers at a cost of £300,000, a £247,000 raft of support for activities for children and families and a £131,000 scheme for a study support service.

Under the revised budget, grant aid for voluntary, community and faith organisations in the city will total £135,000, the Activity Sheffield programme will receive an extra £79,000 and free rat catching services will be reinstated at a cost of £132,000.

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So-called personal budgets for people who need adult social care will also be boosted by £400,000.

Last night, the announcements were criticised by the Liberal Democrat leader Shaffaq Mohammed, who accused Coun Dore of backpedalling on £2.5m pledges that she made before the election.

He added: “Coun Dore said Labour wouldn’t make promises they can’t keep, but when you look at these proposals in detail you can see they have done exactly that.

“Many of their proposals before the election have been watered down and others have been dropped altogether. However, the most worrying news is that Labour are dipping into the healthy of reserves Lib Dems left them in order to fund much of this programme.”