Portsmouth City Council leader outlines demands ahead of budget
AHEAD of the budget, the city’s council leader has written to the chancellor outlining his financial requirements for the city.
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson has identified six key areas he hopes are addressed which will benefit Portsmouth.
Top of his list was spending on public services. Cllr Vernon-Jackson was particularly concerned about funding for schools and the police.
He stated: ‘When I talk to headteachers they tell me they are having to cut spending because of a lack of Government funding.
‘We have had promises of an extra 200 police officers on the streets of Portsmouth. Please do make sure that there is funding to ensure these police officers can be recruited.’
The council also said that it received £5.4million from the Government for Social Services – just over half of what they had to invest.
To tackle the issue of air pollution Cllr Vernon-Jackson has suggested giving ‘all local residents a free bus pass to encourage them to leave their cars at home’.
Other areas of concern were sea defences and additional funding for the Navy.