Aberdeen’s Liberal Democrat councillors today proposed investing in education, repairing crumbling roads and pavement and enhancing Aberdeen’s environment at Aberdeen City Council’s budget meeting.

The Liberal Democrats also squarely put the blame for the cuts Aberdeen City Council is making on the SNP Scottish Government which has cut the council’s funding for 2017/18  by over £10 million.

Ian Yuill, Leader of the city council Liberal Democrats, said “These are cuts made because of decisions made by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government could have chosen to increase income tax by a penny to raise £500 million and invest that in public services in Scotland. They chose not to do that, they chose not to protect public services and they chose to impose savage cuts on this council and other councils across Scotland. These are cuts that will hit some of the most vulnerable in our communities – and they are the responsibility of the SNP.

“This is yet more evidence of the SNP nationally talking left but acting right. This is SNP austerity.”

Ian Yuill added “The Liberal Democrats’ priorities remain education, repairing our city’s crumbling roads and pavements, improving our local environment and making Aberdeen an even better place to live, work, shop, study and enjoy life.”

Key points of the Liberal Democrats’ budget proposals included:

• Creating a £2.5 million Education Fund to make a real difference for every school and ever school pupil in Aberdeen
• Carrying out a feasibility study into transferring the currently closed Hazlehead Swimming Pool to community management
• Investing an additional £3.277 million in repairing roads and pavements across Aberdeen
• Rejecting proposals to cut £500,000 from spending on libraries
• Increasing the council’s ability to repair roads and clear snow from roads and pavements
• Freezing both on and off-street parking charges
• Investing in improving Aberdeen’s environment
• Investing an additional £500,000 in supported bus services to reconnect bus links to isolated communities in Aberdeen
• A commitment to build a new bridge over the River Dee.
• A study into dualing the Lang Stracht

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