The 17-strong opposition Labour Group at North West Leicestershire District Council has released its alternative budget for 2025/26 - which will be debated at the full council meeting on Thursday (Feb 20). 

Labour says it would restore the Alliance's cuts to Age UK and Ashby Museum and make an additional grant to Citizen's Advice to boost their capacity to give financial advice to those suffering most from the cost of living.

Cllr Dave Bigby, Labour Group secretary added: "Our budget is prudent and affordable whilst overturning cuts in services and grants to the voluntary sector proposed by the ruling Alliance of Tory, Lib Dem and Reform members.

"This can all be achieved without increasing council tax beyond what the Alliance is proposing and, actually, with a reduction in borrowing by the housing department over the next five years.

"We would employ an additional Enforcement Officer to help tackle the scourges of ASB and fly tipping across the District and reverse the Alliance's cut to staff in the council's Community Focus Team."

The Labour group says another major initiative would be to begin work on providing new premises to rent for small business start-ups in the area and investment in refocussing our local economy away from warehousing and distribution.

Cllr Bigby added: "We also propose to set up a fund for the maintenance of closed churchyards in Castle Donington, Kegworth and Ashby, addressing a highly inequitable system of double taxation of these areas which was introduced by the Alliance last year.

"Labour's housing programme would provide an extra 70 council houses for affordable rent over five years, to help tackle our increasing housing waiting list and the council's current failure to replace stock lost to Right to Buy. This will make full use of the Labour Government's release of Right to Buy income to replace stock and utilise some of the reserves that the council's housing department is currently sitting on.

"We are calling upon Independent council members and members of the Alliance to support the Labour budget on Thursday."