Councillors in York are being asked to support a £10m boost for road and transport improvements over the forthcoming new council year.

The money includes £7.88m towards the council's popular five-year, £50m Local Transport Plan to be spend on better public transport and measures to cut congestion.

However, on Monday, January 13, meetings of the council's executive member for transport and cross-party advisory panel are being asked to support a bid for a Local Transport Plan top-up from the council's central capital projects pool. Councillors are also being asked to back bids for £1.5m worth of resurfacing and reconstruction projects for the city's roads and footpaths and £250,000 to tackle backlogged work.

Officers are also hoping to spend an additional £450,000 in its housekeeping, or revenue, budget with £160,000 being planned to equalise the city's concessionary bus fares scheme by extending it to everyone aged 60 or over, including men.

However, transport officers are warning that York's success on the transport front is putting strain on staffing and £30,0000 is being suggested for recruitment and retention measures

The rest of the suggested extra spending in the 2003/2004 transport revenue budget includes:

£115,000 to cover the increase in work on activities such as gully cleaning and clearing riverside paths

£33,000 on a fault-locating system to centralise and speed up fault-detection from 40 city traffic signal points

£80,000 to continue support for developing the York Central project

The council's transport team is suggesting some £500,000 worth of savings its budget as a contribution to the £2.7m demanded council-wide to help keep the council tax low, fund some £2.3m of service improvements and meet unavoidable pressures such as inflation and wage rises.

Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, the council's executive member for transport, and members of the advisory panel, are being asked to support a 20p rise in car parking - but only for non-residents and those without a resident's badge - to raise £500,000. £500,000 could also be saved by moving anything but minor highways maintenance schemes into the capital budget.

A Best Value review of the council's street lighting services has also led to some £50,000 in savings through improved management.

Councillor Simpson-Laing said, "This budget will help us to build on our significant achievements on the transport front. Recent government and independent reports have shown York to be a top-performing council in the areas of transport and boosting walking, cycling and bus use.

"Our success has resulted in increased government funding but growth in services and staffing - for example in the transport department where we have comparatively low numbers - cannot be funded by government grants alone and for this reason we need look for savings or increased revenue sources."

The council is currently continuing its consultation process over the new budget. The consultation features a survey of residents on the council's 'people's panel', meetings with representatives of the business community and the city's 'Without Walls' local strategic partnership.

Most local ward committee meetings are also being held this month where budget issues will be listed for discussion.

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