Focus of Green budget to protect services 'for elderly, adults in care, children, and those living below poverty line'

We all knew the stakes were high. But until now, we did not know quite how high.

The minority Green administration will today (Friday) publish its full proposals for the 2015-2016 budget for Brighton and Hove City Council.

Brighton and Hove Independent can reveal which services are at risk. And how, according to Green councillors, such services might be saved.

Topping the list of areas that would be helped by a 5.9% council tax increase proposed by the Greens, are - according to party leaders - care for adults (residential and homecare) and services for children, including full protection of budgets for children's centres.

Community grants and the voluntary sector, it is claimed, are fully protected - as are youth services, early-years childcare, and community safety for women and girls.

In a carefully-planned announcement, Green councillors will today argue that a council tax rise - to help bridge a Â£25.8 million funding gap - also means public toilets will be unaffected and that no cuts will be needed for Cityparks or Cityclean, which runs refuse and street-cleaning services.

Councillor Ollie Sykes argues in today's Brighton and Hove Independent that the proposed council tax rise would, for a typical Band C property, mean an increase of Â£1.32 a week - or Â£69 a year per household.

Budget papers to released today contain three separate budgets: the Green budget that includes the 5.9% tax rise - plus "fall-back" budgets that show the effect of a 1.99% tax rise, supported by Labour, and a tax freeze, supported by Conservatives.

A tax rise of 5.9% will raise Â£4.2 million to set against the cuts this year and to help cushion against future cuts.

The Greens give examples of services that would be much harder hit without a 5.9% tax rise. They claim:

'¢ Services for adults with learning disabilities who require residential or homecare face Â£1 million in cuts no matter what happens. But if Green proposals are voted down, the cuts to these services DOUBLE to more than Â£2 million;

'¢ Homecare for adults - and particularly the elderly - would not be cut at all under Green proposals. But they would face a Â£400,000 CUT under a 1.99% tax rise or a tax freeze;

'¢ Community grants and the voluntary sector are safe under either 5.9% or 1.99% tax rise proposals. But they would be DECIMATED under a tax freeze, which would axe Â£190,000;

'¢ Children's centres, the youth service, and early-years childcare are safe under 5.9% proposals, but would otherwise face significant cuts: Under a tax rise of 1.99%, youth services would be CUT BY Â£138,000; under a tax freeze, they would see a CUT OF Â£543,000. And without a 5.9% tax increase, children's centres would face a CUT OF Â£757,000 and early -ears childcare would be CUT BY MORE THAN Â£102,000.