.png?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=70&enable=upscale)
After last year’s 8 per cent council tax rise, there was pressure to keep this year’s increase down. And in seeking to do so, the council was helped by the prospect of revenue from the new tourist tax or Visitor Levy, which comes into effect in July - the first in the UK.
Because of the Labour administration’s minority position, it always has to win the support of at least two other groups to get its budget passed. The negotiations which secured the backing of the Liberal Democrat and Tory groups led to some significant commitments as part of this year’s package.
Council leader Jane Meagher said: “I’m proud that we’ve once again delivered a balanced budget that focuses on meeting the needs of Edinburgh’s residents. It is a budget that reinforces our commitment to tackling poverty, prioritising prevention and protecting frontline services for those most in need of our support.
“This ambitious budget clearly demonstrates the strength of listening to our communities and working across party lines to do what’s best for the residents of Edinburgh.”
Here are some of the key elements of the council’s budget for the coming year.
5. 'Bleed kits' on council buildings
Lisa Petrie, whose son John McNab, 22, died in an alleged stabbing in Leith last September, has been campaigning to provide easily accessible "bleed kits" - which include tourniquets, bandages and other equipment to stem any severe bleeding - in a bid to prevent similar tragic loss of life. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with John's murder. Lisa made a powerful plea to a council meeting in December and now the council has agreed to spend £50,000 to install bleed kits in key positions in or on council-owned buildings. | TSPL
6. Weeding team and equipment
The phasing out of weedkillers containing the chemical glyphosate has made weed removal a more labour-intensive process. The council administration accepted a Lib Dem proposal for £300,000 to be allocated for a new weeding team to work across the city and £178,000 to be invested in the purchase of three walk-behind weed clearance machines for use on pavements, and two tractor-pulled hot water machines. | Ian Georgeson
7. Mobile phone ban in schools
The budget includes £400,000 for bringing in the proposed ban on mobile phones in city schools. The pilot schemes at Portobello and Queensferry high schools, where pupils have to lock their phones away in pouches, have been judged a success. And subject to the results of a consultation, a similar scheme is expected to be rolled out to all high schools later this year. Phones will also be banned in primary schools, where lockable cabinets will be used instead. | Lisa Ferguson / TSPL
8. Tackling poverty
The council says it is committed to taking all the local steps possible to eradicate poverty in Edinburgh. Neighbourhood Prevention Partnerships - which join up services and make help more accessible - will be rolled out across five areas of the city. And the council says it will accelerate and improve early intervention to prevent poverty. | Yui Mok/PA Wire Photo: