A ROW has broken out over the amount of money civic chiefs are planning to spend on education and parking in Southampton.

Council bosses have clarified figures about the amount of money allocated to the education budget and parking measures.

At the cabinet meeting held earlier this week, opposition leader Cllr Satvir Kaur quizzed the authority over the budget proposals.

It follows claims on social media that the council is planning to spend more on parking than education.

Southampton City Council leader Cllr Daniel Fitzhenry said the investment in new parking spaces in council estate was requested by residents and “to suggest that it is a misuse of public fund it is something out of step”.

How much is being spent on education? 

Southampton City Council said the dedicated school grant which funds school budgets is £146m in 2021/22 . This is ring-fenced funding from Government.

The council said in addition the authority has an agreed education budget which is £7.34m  this year– the majority of which supports home to school transport.

Early years is with the dedicated schools grant of £146m for 2021/22, the council said.

Budgets for 2022/23 will be agreed in February 2022.

How much is being spent on parking? 

The council said the creation of  more than 1,000  parking spaces represents  a capital cost of £6.47m over the next two years.

The authority said this is a one off spending on infrastructure and “therefore different in nature to the day to day costs of education or revenue from parking”.

Free parking in the evening and Sundays is expected to cost £896,000 in 2021/22.

The cost of free parking in 2022/23 is £853,000.

What did the opposition say? 

Cllr Darren Paffey, shadow cabinet member for education, said: “The total of these new parking measures announced – currently an alarming £8.2m – amounts to more than a year’s education and early years budget- what on earth does that say about this administration’s priorities?

"There is legitimate public concern over whether this £8.2m is worth it, whether it should be spent on other priorities such as vulnerable children and adults, and what services will eventually need to be cut when the Conservatives work out how they’re going to pay for it.”

What did the leader of the council say? 

Cllr Daniel Fitzhenry said: “There will be no reduction in services. Our 1,000 parking spaces policy has been created because that is what residents in our estate said they want and we will be delivering it.

"We will be spending over the next two years more than £250m on education, that will include the council’s contribution so our priorities are clear, education is a considerable investment but we are equally committed to delivering our 1,000 new parkig spaces and free parking on evenings and weekends.”