Lib Dems reject council budget that puts ‘vulnerable residents at risk’

Surrey Lib Dems voted against the county council's proposed budget for 2020/21 as it would put services to vulnerable residents at further risk.

'Every day I hear from families struggling with SEND needs, trying to get care packages for adults and those with Learning Disabilities. The County Council rations the services for vulnerable people and this budget makes that worse'.

At today's full council meeting Chris Botten, Leader of the Lib Dem group voiced members' concerns that further planned cuts regarding Adult Social Care, SEND and Adults with Learning Disabilities would cause further distress to families already having to cope with reduced services in those areas. He went on to say that the council bore a 'heavy burden of responsibility to ensure the most vulnerable are most cherished and most safest.'

He also questioned the reasoning behind an additional £1.5m of savings for the fire service, when it is striving to recruit sufficient officers to achieve target response times.

In his speech to the Council Mr Botten welcomed the additional capital investment in infrastructure but stressed that the council was 'being premature in making savings while still trying to transform the services and the council.'