The sale of Leeds Lord Mayor's official car number plate, “U1”, has ignited debate. Worth over £500,000, the plate could help plug the city council's budget gap. However, Conservative councillor Alan Lamb urges public consultation before selling this historic asset.
Council bosses have been urged to seek people’s views on the sale of the Lord Mayor’s official car number plate. The plate, which bears the symbol “U1”, has been owned by Leeds City Council for around 120 years and could be worth more than £500,000. A sale of the civic plate could help the Labour-controlled council plug a budget gap of more than £100m it faces next year.
Alan Lamb, leader of the Leeds Conservative group, said the plate was a valuable piece of the city’s history and a public consultation should be held. He said: “I can understand why the council is looking at options to sell assets like this. But I think given the rich history and story of how this came to the council it is not right to sell it without doing some wider consultation with the people of Leeds. “It’s akin to selling off the family silver without checking with the rest of the family.” The U1 plate is said to be the first ever bought in Leeds after the Motor Car Act was passed in 1903. Rowland Winn, a founding member of the Automobile Association, gifted it to Arthur Currer Briggs, when Briggs was elected Lord Mayor that year. The sale would be classed as a “key decision” by the council, with a potential financial impact of more than £500,000. The council would appoint a private dealer to act on its behalf if the decision to sell the plate was approved. Coun Lamb, who represents Wetherby, said it should be included in a wider consultation over budget savings by the council. He said: “If on balance the public think it’s right to sell it, given the financial pressures we face, then fair enough, but we should at least be giving people a chance to have their say. Given that the council is about to consult on its wider budget proposals, this could have even formed part of that process. “As it is, I’m disappointed that the public is not being asked for their views on the future of this historic asse
Number Plate Sale Leeds City Council Budget Gap Public Consultation Historic Asset
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