THE Conservative group at Teignbridge Council has criticised the proposed 3.9 per cent budget increase, claiming that a zero increase is possible without affecting major services.

Conservative leader, Cllr Stuart Barker said their alternative budget would protect reserves and would not jeopardise the proposed freeze in car parking charges.

He said they were setting out their ideas early because in previous years they had been criticised for not giving members time to consider them.

The zero increase would be achieved by reducing the Local Development Framework (LDF) budget, removing the contingency set aside in case salary increases are bigger than expected and halting building work on industrial units at Collett Way, Newton Abbot.

Cllr Barker said: 'We believe it is possible to set a zero increase budget this year. Because last year's increase was unnecessarily high a Conservative budget means there would be no reduction in any of the main services provided by the council.

'Waste and recycling collections, new affordable housing, leisure services, economic development and so on would all be protected by the Conservatives.

'It would also mean a freeze on car park charges and a cut in the cost of parking on Sundays, another additional charge introduced by the Liberal Democrats last year.'

It is proposed that the budget set aside for rewriting the LDF is slashed from £275,000 to £150,000, wiping two per cent off any council tax increase. Conservatives point to a consistent underspending in previous years. This year £55,000 is expected to be spent on the LDF, against a budget of £275,000.

Conservatives also want to cut the £80,000 contingency set aside in case salary increases exceed the 2.5 per cent on offer, equivalent to another one per cent saved.

'The increase is a very fair one, given that private businesses will be struggling to find any increases at all this year,' Cllr Barker said.

The decision to build new industrial units at Collett Way would also be shelved, shaving one per cent off the council tax. Conservatives say the units would compete with the many empty units available in the private sector.

'In our view it would be much better to spend the money acquiring new industrial sites and putting in the infrastructure, ready for when the economy recovers,' Cllr Barker added.

A final decision will be made about the budget at full council on February 23.