Reporting local life since 1854 40pFriday, February 24, 2012

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STOKE City’s EuropaLeague adventure hascome to an end.

The Potters crashed out2-0 on aggregate, after a 1-0defeat in last night’s m at chin Valencia.

Stoke launched theirfirst European campaignsince the 1970s with anaway win over HajdukSplit back on August 4, andcame through a groupcontaining the likes ofBesiktas and Dynamo Kiev,winning seven of their 12g ames.

But boss Tony Pulisrisked the wrath of thethousands of Stoke fanswho had travelled out toSpain by leaving the likesof Peter Crouch, JonWalters, MatthewEtherington and RyanShawcross at homeye s t e rd ay.

Nigel Matthews, aged 45,of Newcastle, wasdisappointed with thesquad.

He said: “I feel a bit letdown after the time andexpense that supportershave put into getting toVa l e n c i a . ”

Alex Brian, aged 24, ofMeir Heath, said: “H av i n gleft those first team playersat home, I think we have tobeat Swansea on Sundaynow or the manager mightface a backlash.”

But Derek Morrall, aged79, from Bagnall, who wason the official club-organised trip said: “Inever expected the fullteam to play here.

“The Premier Leaguegame against Swansea ismore important than thiso n e.

“I have been going toStoke for 63 years but thisis my first time seeingthem in Europe.

“It’s wonderful just beingable to watch Stoke inVa l e n c i a . ”

Potters’ Eurodream diesin Valencia

GO-AHEAD FOR3.49% TAX RISE

Council leader promises budget will ‘stimulate growth’

INSIDE:Spanishflight fiasco:Pages 22&23,plus matchreaction: Pages 68-72

INSIDE TODAY’S

Fun-loving MGis packed witht oys

BY ALEX CAMPBELLalex.campbell@thesentinel.co.uk

TAXPAYERS in Stoke-on-Trent are in one ofonly 31 council areasin England to agreehigher tax bills fromAp r i l .

City councillors last nightapproved a budget which increasescouncil tax by 3.49 per cent but slashes£20 million from s e r v i c e s.

The council is the only unitaryauthority in the West Midlandsand Staffordshire to refuse aGovernment cash offer tofreeze tax, and in doing so joins30 other councils out of 353 inEngland.

Cuts will see 358 jobs maderedundant and the axe willfall on everything fromcare homes to busp a s s e s.

City councillors also rejected a last-minute motion tabled by CouncillorDave Conway, leader of the oppositionCity Independents, calling on councilofficers earning more than £50,000 totake a voluntary five per cent pay cut.

The Labour-run authority is cutting£20 million, raising £3 million from thetax increase and borrowing £1 millionfrom back-up reserves to deliver a bal-anced budget.

Council leader Mohammed Pervezsaid the budget, which will see £4.6million reinvested in Mandate for

Change schemes to boost the localeconomy, is “bold, ambitious andi n n ovat ive. ”

But his party faced a barrage ofcriticism from opposition council-

lors in a heated two-hour meeting.Non-aligned member Paul

Breeze said: “It is very easyto be bold with otherpeople’s money.

“You accepted the tax

freeze offer last year, because you said itwould be unreasonable to put a greaterburden on residents in difficult times.

“But it’s reasonable this year in evenworse times, because it is not an elec-tion year.”

Cheshire East Council yesterdayagreed to freeze tax, while StaffordshireCounty Council and the region’s dis-trict councils have also accepted theGover nment’s offer to block increasesin favour of a grant worth 2.5 per cent oftheir council tax income.

The budget was approved as TheLocal Government Association con-firmed that council workers face a thirdconsecutive pay freeze this year.

Mr Conway, pictured, told the cham-ber: “It’s the same as last year – cut, cut,cut.

“Now the pensioners can’t even getthe security lights repaired outsidetheir homes and the blind and elderlyc a n’t use the bus until after 9.30am.”

Conservative leader councillor Abi

Brown said the budget “attacks thevulnerable, needy and those who needus the most”, adding: “I support investto save but it is costing taxpayers £5million; how about some common sensesavings instead?”

Mr Pervez criticised the oppositionfor failing to submit an alternativebudget, telling members: “I stand beforeyou to present a budget that addressesnot only deep cuts and cost pressures,but a budget that will invest in theMandate for Change to protect the mostvulnerable, stimulate economic growthand create much-needed jobs for ourre s i d e n t s. ”

Residents in Band A properties willsee their tax bill rise £26.60 to £788.97.

What do you think? Email us at letters@thesentinel.co.uk

Where the cuts fall: Pages 6&7

Comment: Page 10

Picture: ClareJennings

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