County council jobs will be lost and buildings sold off in Powys after councillors voted to raise council tax by 3.95 per cent. The rise will mean an average Band D bill of £800.18.

The £30.49 increase comes after members rejected a 3.5 per cent rise proposed by the Montgomeryshire Independent Group.

Board members had recommended the 3.95 per cent rise, relying on efficiency savings of £5.168 million, a £250,000 cut in school budgets, and on schools meeting an increase in teachers’ superannuation costs from existing budgets.

The savings include £1 million from the staffing budget, with the loss of seven senior managers’ jobs and 62 full-time posts.

Extra money has been put into social services and the main education budget has been maintained. Councillors voted by 42 to 21 in support of the proposals.

Board chairman Councillor Michael Jones said at a meeting of the full council yesterday: “There will be pain, and there will be more redundancies.

“I don’t like being a part of a process that will make people redundant, especially since some of us appointed some of those people, but these decisions have been taken after a great deal of consideration.”

Other cost-saving measures include selling the old town hall and the Gwynfa office in Llandrindod Wells, the Strand Hall in Builth Wells, area offices in Hay-on-Wye and Crickhowell, and maintenance depots at Presteigne and Llanidloes.

Head of finance Geoff Petty said the council would consult communities.

“We won’t just consult over these particular buildings but other buildings in those communities,” he said.