Liberal Democrat councillor Robert Donald, Chair of the City Neighbourhoods Committee, spoke strongly in favour of the District Council funding the replacement of the much used Clarence Park entrance during the recent Council budget debate. He commented after the Council had voted to accept the CNC’s recommendation to do this priority work:

I was very pleased that the portfolio holder for Resources and the Council Leader did not try to reverse the recommendations of the City Neighbourhoods Committee at the main budget meeting. An overwhelming majority of CNC members had agreed to fund various new play ground facilities and the replacement of the Clarence Park entrance using the Committee’s available Council Tax resources. 

Many residents and park users had lobbied the relevant Councillors over recent weeks to respect the CNC’s decision and reject the suggestion that private investment and individual donations be sought via ‘crowd-funding’ to pay for this urgent work.

I am extremely concerned that the attempt to use crowd-funding to replace the park entrance was a kite-flying exercise by the Conservatives and that they will repeat this proposal elsewhere in the future. This fund raising method may well have a place in contributing towards the provision of some new facilities like the current City Museum but in my view it is totally inappropriate to use it to pay for the regular maintenance and replacement of Council owned assets and facilities like Clarence Park or for the running of its statutory services.

To use crowd-funding in this way would be a highly regressive policy potentially returning Council funding to the days of nineteenth century, idiosyncratic private patrons and benefactors. It could rapidly result in major inequalities and inconsistencies of local provision especially for people on the lowest incomes. Local Authorities were created to provide decent living standards for all and a healthy, clean environment for everyone in the community funded from general local taxation not private donations.

I warned the Conservative Council Administration at the meeting that if in the future they try to fund core Council services, infrastructure projects or maintenance from crowd-funding they can expect that I, together with my Liberal Democrats colleagues, will robustly oppose them.