Civic costs should not eat up housing money, say Lib Dems

9.00.00am GMT Mon 10th Dec 2007

Liberal Democrat councillors expressed dismay at the £4.5 million increase in the cost of the new Civic, and at the Conservative proposal to borrow from Guildford's housing reserves to pay for it, without any guarantee to pay the funding back.

Speaking at full Council last week, Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Fiona White proposed that any housing money used for the new Civic should be repaid within three years. Cllr Fiona White said "We have no wish to delay the Civic project - the people of Guildford have been without their Civic Hall for far too long already. But given the desperate need for affordable housing in Guildford, this council should at least guarantee to replace any money borrowed from the housing fund in a short timescale."

Cllr Anne Meredith (Lib Dem, Friary and St Nicholas) pointed out that there were 95 bids for every 2-bedroomed social housing property that became available, and 70 bids for every one-bedroomed flat. Cllr Anne Meredith said "It is quite wrong to raid the housing fund without any guarantee of pay-back when so many Guildford families are having to scramble for every vacancy."

Conservative councillors voted down Cllr Fiona White's proposal, and refused to give any guarantees on the timing of repayment of any money borrowed from the housing fund.