Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) budget for the next three years has been approved, including a 3.99 per cent rise in council tax next year and £32.9 million of savings.

But councillors rejected amendments from Green Party and Lib Dem candidates aimed at tackling the climate crisis.

RBC will spend £9 million on road repairs and £35 million on swimming pools and could splash out £5 million to buy Reading Police Station.

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Councillor Jason Brock, RBC leader, said the plans are the council’s “most ambitious in at least half a generation”.

The budget was approved by Full Council last night (Tuesday, February 25) by 29 votes to 16, with one councillor – Sarah Hacker – not in attendance.

The Conservative group refused to back the plans, despite praising the council’s management of the budget.

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Cllr David Stevens said the objection is because of RBC plans to raise £1.8 million through charging motorists, which could include a congestion charge or workplace parking levy.

It includes around £17 million of spending to tackle the climate emergency over the next three years.

The Green Party amendment, presented by Cllr Rob White, sought to make use of government funding to help insulate homes and tackle fuel poverty.

He said the council needs to do “much more” to cut carbon emissions and protect vulnerable residents.

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Councillors from other parties responded positively to the proposal but said they needed more time to consider it, with only Lib Dem councillors supporting the Green group proposal.

Labour Councillor Jason Brock, leader of the council, said it would be “irresponsible” to back the proposal without full consideration.

The Lib Dem amendment aimed to use an underspend of £3.2m in 2019/20 to fund electric vehicle charging points, tree planting and a second camera van to enforce parking restrictions.

Green Party councillors returned the favour and backed the plan, but it was voted down by Tory councillors, who said they needed more time to consider the proposal, and the controlling Labour group.

Labour’s Cllr Brock said budgets had to be set around capacity and parties should have approached the leadership in advance rather than presenting plans at the meeting.

He slammed all three opposition parties for “vacuous politics without responsibility”.

Lib Dem Councillor Meri O’Connell said it is “really disappointing” that Labour and Tory councillors refused to back “an easy win”.