West Lothian Lib Dem Budget Statement

Yesterday, West Lothian Council’s Labour Administration passed their budget with support from the Scottish Conservatives, Reform and an Independent Councillor. 

Scottish Liberal Democrat Councillor Sally Pattle abstained from the vote and although she had submitted an amendment, it wasn’t heard as she had no-one to second her in chamber. The Scottish National Party also submitted an amendment which fell.

Councillor Pattle said:

“I think it’s clear we all understand the perilous state our finances are in. We heard today first-hand from parents who will be affected by the loss of cross-border funding for private nursery places who gave us incredibly powerful testimony about the real-world impact that decisions we are being forced into making are having on families and our young people.

That’s why I believe the budget passed today does not represent the best that we can do for our residents, or for business.

There is a lot I agree with: the West Lothian Liberal Democrats welcome the much-needed investment in repairing the dreadful state of our roads; the priority given to protecting and enhancing adult social care provision by investing in the Integrated Joint Board; and the commitment to looking at further increasing council tax on second homes to 200%.

However, there is so much more that could have been done. 

There is a lack of urgency in getting decriminalised parking enforcement over the line so we can tackle the illegal parking plaguing our town centres.

There is no vision for developing a long-term tourism strategy so we can capitalise on West Lothian’s world-class heritage and assets.

And I – like others – will be keenly monitoring the impact of the community centre review once it comes into effect in April 2026.

But in my amendment, I also focused on budget saving measure O6c which claims that £80k will be raised through our country parks and enforcement action.

The West Lothian Liberal Democrats suggested that in addition to marketing our country parks as event venues, we should look at introducing car parking charges at a rate of 50p per vehicle per day.

In 2025, approximately 399,000 vehicles visited our 3 country parks, that’s potential income generation of £194,000.

I remain deeply concerned about the implications of the planned enforcement action on the business community.

As I said last week during the Council Executive meeting, I welcome the introduction of the Litter Prevention Action Plan, but I feel the policy regarding trade waste has not been sufficiently developed. The West Lothian Liberal Democrats are calling for a working group formed of officers, elected members, and representatives from trade waste operators and the business community with a remit to develop locality based policies for town centres, retail parks and industrial estates, as well as understanding the challenges faced by both operators and businesses with regards to collections, and any potential procurement improvements.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats understand the constraints and challenges faced by local authorities across Scotland, and of course that is no different here in West Lothian. We must make difficult decisions, but I don’t think we’ve fully explored every avenue that could potentially generate income. 

Instead, the budget that was presented today is another example of short-term sticking plaster politics that does nothing to lay the groundwork for future long-term sustainability for the council, or the communities of West Lothian.”

And if you’d like to see more policies in West Lothian that will bring positive change with fairness at their heart, vote Scottish Liberal Democrat in May!"