Fife budget: SNP outlines key plans ahead of budget debate

Capping rent increases for council tenants and freezing council fees and services are two key components of the Fife’s SNP Group paper.

It has suggested a rent increase of 4% for council tenants compared to the 5% rise. The larger increase will just about cover the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget gap. However, if the SNP proposals are approved, they will reduce Tenant Support Funding by £1.5 million to fill the multi-million pound deficit.

The SNP amendment also proposes a freeze on other council charges that include funerals and cremations,”

Their paper said: “These charges were increased by 5% last year when the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative in coalition pushed them through, and they may plan to do so again.”

The SNP group continued: “[Our] proposals will freeze these charges against the proposal to rake in an additional £0.755m in a time of crises in many of our communities.”

Despite those two main differences, Fife’s SNP and Labour groups are surprisingly aligned in many ways. Both have agreed to support Holyrood’s Council Tax freeze, and both have agreed to increasing the budget for health and social care, road maintenance and vehicle fleet replacement. The two parties have also both agreed to hand over £500,000 to hire more educational psychologists across Fife’s schools. Both think this move will help tackle increasing violence in schools.

The figures may vary slightly from priority to priority, but the biggest difference lies in outlook and where each party places the blame for financial pressures.

The SN firmly points the finger at Westminster, and while the Labour administration preaches of tough times ahead for Fife, the SNP takes a more optimistic approach.

“We are astonished by the negative narrative in the minority administration’s budget preamble,” it said. “The people of Fife will not be paying any additional Council Tax in 2024/25, and we can provide up to around £20 million of additional funding which will be invested now, or in the near future.”

The group continued: “This will also be the fourth year in a row that Fife Council has taken no decisions to make cuts to services during the Budget process.”

Councillors will gather at Fife House on Thursday morning to set the 2024/25 budget in stone.