Council tax bills for Telford & Wrekin Council services are to go up by 1.9 per cent from April – the authority’s lowest increase for more than a decade.

It means bills for the average home will go up by 31p a week for the council’s part of the tax.

The budget was approved at last night’s meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council.

The council said the increase was significantly below the average rise of 5.9 per cent over the last decade.

But Labour group leader Keith Austin told the meeting: “The Labour group supports the 1.9 per cent council tax for 2010/2011 but will not support the administration’s reckless capital plans which will leave the council with a debt mountain of over £120 million, a trebling of the council’s debt since 2007.”

Councillor Austin said his group agreed the borough should be regenerated but at a “sustainable rate”.

But Conservative Councillor Andrew Eade, council leader, said: “What you have failed to do is provide an alternative budget to say how you would deal with your concerns.”

He disputed a claim that the proposed civic offices would be at a cost to the taxpayer, saying it was an “absolute lie”.

The council said its three-year budget focussed on key areas where it wanted to target investment to improve services and transform the borough by investing more than £280 million.

The spending plan includes £115.3 million for rebuilding and modernising secondary and primary schools and sports facilities; almost £60 million to regenerate the Southwater area of Telford Town Centre and more than £20 million for regeneration of the borough’s towns.

More than £13 million would go on care services for older people, vulnerable adults and children.