WESTBURY’S Diamond Jubilee celebrations are to go ahead in full after a proposed cut to the town’s Diamond Jubilee budget was rejected by the town council.
The finance committee’s draft budget for 2012-2013 recommended cutting £5,000 from the Diamond Jubilee’s budget. However, on Monday 9th January councillors voted to reinstate the £5,000, preventing the need to cut parts of the celebrations.
Instead, £5,000 will be cut from the capital projects fund, the fund earmarked for town council projects throughout the year, reducing it to £35,000.
The three-day Diamond Jubilee celebrations, which will take place in June this year to mark 60 years of the Queen’s reign, are to include a street fayre, local street parties, fancy dress and talent competitions, and evening entertainment.
A dedicated committee chaired by cllr Sue Ezra has been developing ideas and planning the events, with a planned budget of £32,000 over two years. However, the finance committee recommended cutting the allocation by taking £5,000 out of the 2012-2013 allocation.
Councillors had strong feelings on the proposal at the meeting of the town council. Cllr David Tout said, “You’re proposing to slash the budget by a considerable amount. The members of the committee have been working very hard on this and to turn round and slash the budget is a no no. You’re basically telling the committee to cancel certain aspects. We’re giving something back to the community – and even children will not see another diamond jubilee.”
Cllr Gordon King said he did not support the cut to the Diamond Jubilee’s budget, suggesting that the benefits of social cohesion and inclusion that the celebrations would promote outweighed the extra cost, estimated to be the equivalent of £1 per household.
Cllr David Jenkins said, “It’s a difficult one, there are two sides to the coin. Yes, it’s a very special occasion but yes, we’re in austere times with cuts left, right and centre; there are companies going bust night and day and people losing their jobs.”
Cllr David Windess said he supported the proposed cut. “I cannot agree that this town council can spend that much in these austere times,” he commented.
Cllr Russell Hawker said, “I understand the working group is aggrieved. My understanding of the minds of councillors is that £30,000 is a lot of money for a one-off event. It’s possible to trim the components. I feel relatively confident of a grant of £5,000 from the area board. We’re talking of a 10% trimming, which is perfectly reasonable.”
Cllr Christine Mitchell suggested that, compared to the town’s biennial street fayre, the three-day celebrations would be good value for money. “The summer streets event costs nearly two thirds of what we want for a three-day event,” she said.
Seven councillors voted to restore the £5,000 to the budget, 2 were against, and 1 councillor abstained from the vote.
