Investigations by Bury’s Liberal Democrat councillors has revealed that Labour and Conservative councillors have not allocated around half of the money allocated to them for their local communities.
Only two areas – the Liberal Democrat councillors in Holyrood Ward and also the councillors in Tottington – have allocated the total of £4,500 allocated under the Elected Member Discretionary Budgets during that period.
The scheme was set up in December 2017 for councillors to support local projects and initiatives within their ward and wider township at their discretion.
More information was provided in an investigation by the Bury Times, reveal that only £41,801.96 was spent by councillors in their communities out of a possible £76,500.
Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Tim Pickstone said: “We welcomed the decision to provide councillors with small delegated budgets to spend on priorities in their own wards. Liberal Democrat councillors in Holyrood ward have had no difficulty making sure all of that money has gone to the right place supporting a whole variety of community groups and initiatives.”
“There are so many good causes that need our support so I am amazed that only two of the 17 wards in Bury have spent the money that has been allocated to them.”
Councillors in Radcliffe West spent the least money at £312 out of a possible £4,5000 while Besses and St Mary’s wards spent around £700 each.
Here is how Liberal Democrat Councillors spent the budget in Holyrood Ward.
Here is the full spend / underspend for each ward:
| Bury East | Available | Spend | EMDB allocated per ward | |
| Moorside | 2105.00 | 2395.00 | 4500 | |
| Redvales Ward | 1300.00 | 3200.00 | 4500 | |
| East Ward | 2966.76 | 1533.24 | 4500 | |
| 6371.76 | 7128.24 | |||
| Bury West | Available | Spend | EMDB allocated per ward | |
| Elton Ward | 871.70 | 3628.30 | 4500 | |
| Church Ward | 2349 | 2151 | 4500 | |
| 3220.70 | 5779.30 | |||
| RTNM | available | Spend | EMDB allocated per ward | |
| Ramsbottom | 2672 | 1828 | 4500 | |
| North Manor | 291.20 | 4208.80 | 4500 | |
| Tottington | 0 | 4500 | 4500 | |
| 2963.20 | 6036.80 | |||
| Radcliffe | available | spend | EMDB allocated per ward | |
| North | 1719.48 | 2780.52 | 4500 | |
| West | 4188 | 312 | 4500 | |
| East | 1226.53 | 3273.47 | 4500 | |
| 7134 | 6365.99 | |||
| Whitefield & Unsworth | available | spend | EMDB allocated per ward | |
| Pilkington Park | 2870 | 1630 | 4500 | |
| Besses | 3772.19 | 727.81 | 4500 | |
| Unsworth | 3100 | 1400 | 4500 | |
| 9742.19 | 3757.81 | |||
| Prestwich | available | spend | EMDB allocated per ward | |
| St Marys | 3811 | 689 | 4500 | |
| Sedgley | 1454.80 | 3045.20 | 4500 | |
| Holyrood | 0.38 | 4499.62 | 4500 | |
| 5266.18 | 8233.82 |