Shropshire councillors have approved what they were warned was likely to be the last “generous” budget for years to come.

The full Shropshire Council yesterday voted 50 to 14 on spending plans for 2010/11. Members were told by Tory council leader Keith Barrow: “We are delivering good services and low council tax. It is a good budget and everybody should support it. We are delivering on our promises.”

The budget plan was seconded by Councillor Brian Williams, who warned that although the council had managed its resources well, there were “very difficult times” ahead.

He said the authority would be expected to deliver services with what would be the equivalent of the resources it had in 1974.

“This will be our last generous budget on the expenditure side,” he added.

Council tax increases will vary from zero in south Shropshire and Oswestry, to 3.5 per cent in Bridgnorth as the authority seeks to equalise levels countywide.

The rise in the former Shrewsbury and Atcham borough is 1.29 per cent and in north Shropshire 0.71 per cent.

The budget aims to make savings of £7.1 million through what the Tory administration says is a wide range of initiatives to improve efficiency and deliver services in an innovative, cost-effective way.

The money is needed to prepare for reduced Government funding in the future and current tough economic conditions.

But since the budget process began last October, the authority has gained an additional £3.3 million from a variety of sources.

Councillor Barrow said this would be re-invested to help the “most vulnerable” in the county.

He said: “£3.3 million is serious money and we are putting it in where it is most needed.”

The authority rejected, through its overwhelming Tory majority, Lib Dem amendments put forward by Councillor Nigel Hartin to invest £200,000 in the Keep Shropshire Warm scheme and allied initiatives, reinstate £58,000 to economic development grants to voluntary bodies, maintain area partnership funding of £405,000, and not to implement moves to equalise and increase leisure centre charges.

Labour leader, Alan Mosley, said the budget was “reasonable in the circumstances” but the spin that had been put on it hid some substantial funding cuts.

The council also agreed a capital budget programme of £127 million which will include a number of major building projects such as the refurbishment of Shrewsbury Music Hall and the Oswald Park Leisure Centre in Oswestry.