Conservatives fight ‘unfair’ proposal to tax people living near Bristol Downs £20 a year

The Tories are fighting an “unfair” proposal to tax people living near the Downs in Bristol by £20 a year. The levy would help pay for the upkeep of Clifton Down and Durdham Down and was suggested by a Liberal Democrat councilor last month.

Early discussions are already taking place between Bristol City Council staff over the new charge, which would apply to anyone living in an area around the Downs. The proposal sparked a row which Tory councilors in Stoke Bishop have now escalated.

They claim the idea has “many fundamental flaws and inconsistencies” as well as being “unfair and arbitrary”. They added that most visitors to the Downs do not live nearby and will table a motion opposing a new charge at a full council meeting today (July 9).

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Councilor John Goulandris said: “There are many objections that can be raised against this extraordinarily bad idea, not the least of which is that it is highly discriminatory. Durdham Downs has been bequeathed to the benefit of all Bristol citizens and remains one of the most important green spaces in our city.

“We would be going down a very slippery slope indeed if local authorities were allowed to charge people extra just because of where they happen to live. Accordingly, I will seek assurances from the council leader that his administration will never introduce this measure.”

Cllr Henry Michallat added: “The principle behind such a charge is a very dangerous one and the implications of which have not been clearly thought through. I suspect many of Cllr Gooch’s residents will be surprised to learn that she seems keen to dream up new and novel ways that the council can extract even more money from them.”

Liberal Democrat Cllr Caroline Gooch raised the idea of ​​a charge during a Downs committee meeting on June 10. The Downs has long suffered from a lack of cash to pay for staff and maintenance, not least after an expensive legal battle over the use of some of them. parking area.

Cllr Gooch, who was newly elected in May to represent Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze, said: “The Tory Government’s terrible record and the appalling underfunding of local government has left many councils looking for innovative ways to protect our budgets . Local taxes are used by many councils to fund community care, so I proposed the idea of ​​a local tax for discussion only.

“It would be preferable to raise money by other means, several ideas have been proposed and no decision has been made. If the committee were to conclude that there was no option but to ask for more public funding, the best way to do this would need to be explored. This talk attracted a lot of interest and engagement, showing the level of affection for the Downs held by local people.”