Cllr Sharon Michael – Comments on Budget 2016-17 SHYPP
5th February 2015
The amendment I proposed, for £200k in one-off funding to be removed from the Hereford Relief Road budget and used to fund SHYPP (Supported Housing and Young Persons Project) instead, was never intended to be a further row about the merits of the Cabinet’s road building schemes. It simply is the most logical place to take a small amount of funding from to support an extremely valuable service, which has had it’s funding from the Council completely cut with next to no notice.
I’m disappointed I had no opportunity to come back and clarify this in the Council Chambers as rules of debate never gave me the opportunity to reply.
I had to identify where the money would come from for the proposed one-off funding grant and I explained that this should come from the Council’s financial reserves. Reserves the current Conservative administration wish to keep for the Hereford Relief Road.
I appreciate that the council offered their support to the Supported Housing and Young Persons Project and are being proactive with regards to promising to help SHYPP to secure alternative funding but at the end of the day that’s all they are so far; promises and assurances.
My amendment would of given SHYPP enough secured funding to enable them time to plan their future financial strategy for next year, now that all their Council funding has been withdrawn at such short notice.