North Yorks ‘snow levy’ to pay for road repairs (From Craven Herald)

North Yorks ‘snow levy’ to pay for road repairs

4:00pm Friday 5th February 2010 in

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A “snow levy” will increase council tax bills in Craven to help fund the extra £10 million cost of repairing roads wrecked by the freezing weather.

North Yorkshire County Council plans to make the extra charge to raise an additional £1 million from taxpayers and it will pay a further £1 million out of its reserves – but there will still be an £8 million shortfall.

The council’s finance director, John Moore, said a 2.5 per cent rise in council tax had already been planned, but it was necessary for it to go up by almost another half a per cent to help plug the highways budget.

But he said there would not be enough cash to mend all the potholes and a priority list of emergency repairs for the worst-hit areas was being drawn up.

“The roads will cost a total of £10 million to repair, but we have only put £2 million towards it as that is all we can afford to pay,” said Mr Moore. “We are self-insuring mainly and, if we don’t repair the worst potholes, we will be a target for people claiming compensation against us.

“We have to re-prioritise what needs to be done because of the winter damage. This has been the worst winter for 30 years and we have the longest mileage of roads in the country.”

Mr Moore said £6 million had been earmarked for gritting and snow clearance in the council’s current budget, but he estimated the total would now come to around £10 million.

He said that, to make up the difference, the council would again need to dip into reserves.

The full council will consider the proposed council tax rise on Wednesday February 17.

A council spokesman said: “The council tax increase would have been even lower had it not been for the extensive damage caused to the country’s highways in this winter’s big freeze.

“The damage caused to the country’s highways by the most extreme weather conditions for 30 years will cost millions of pounds to repair.

“We have taken what is prudent from our reserves to help to pay for this work, but there is still a shortfall which must be covered through tax.”

Mr Moore said he appreciated the bad weather was not over yet and forward planning took into account the demands of an “average winter”. Stockpiles of salt were being built up again.

The proposed 2.94 per cent increase in council tax for 2010 will bring the annual bill for an average band D home to £1,057.48 – up £30.18, or 58p a week.

The Local Government Association wants the Department of Transport to release £100 million for repairs nationwide.