Stop Second Heating Hike say Lib Dems

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 1st Sep 2005

Manchester Liberal Democrats are urging the Council to think again as Labour prepare to increase heating charges for many tenants for the second time in six months, despite an underspend in the Housing budget.

Lib Dems would cancel the second phase of Labour's massive 40% increase in the cost of heating around 7,500 households in the city, including some of our most vulnerable elderly people. The Housing budget has surplus of around £5 million, and £300,000 of that is still unallocated, according to research carried out by Opposition Liberal Democrat Councillors.

Earlier this year, despite opposition from Manchester's 38 Liberal Democrat Councillors, Labour's Town Hall bosses pushed through a huge 30% hike in Heating Charges for 32 blocks of flats - and they now preparing another 10% increase for October.

Manchester Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson Councillor Paul Shannon said:

"It is morally wrong to increase Heating Charges yet again when there is still money in the bank left over from last year! There is no need to pass on all this rise to tenants this year when we have a 2004/2005 budget surplus of some £5 million, including £300,000 which hasn't even been allocated yet."

Opposition Leader Councillor Simon Ashley said today:

"We budgeted for a 10% rise last year. which was unavoidable given the rise in price of fuel in the past year - but Liberal Democrats have consistently said that a 42% rise is totally unacceptable and unreasonable. Labour should think again, and cancel this latest increase."