Shropshire Star

Council tax to rise 3.2 per cent in Telford & Wrekin

Council tax in Telford will rise by 3.2 per cent from April to help offset cuts in Government grants for social care.

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Telford & Wrekin Council revealed that its planned increase would go ahead, subject to final council approval.

The increase would be equivalent to an extra 60p a week for the average borough Band B home.

Councillor Lee Carter, cabinet member for finance, called on MPs across Shropshire to help fight further cuts to local government.

He said that, despite the cuts, the town would still have one of the lowest council tax rates in the Midlands.

“Last year many councils with social services responsibilities raised council tax by almost six per cent, Councillor Carter said.

"We have instead chosen more gradual increases of 3.2 per cent in 2018 and 2019 but make no mistake we are very aware of the impact that this huge bill has on households in the borough.

"Sadly the state of local government finances after years of cuts in Government grants is that we are in the crazy situation where because of the growing pressures on areas such as care for vulnerable adults and looked after children, despite us increasing council tax, we still have to make cuts in our budget and services.”

By the end of this year the council will have taken £117 million from its budget, due to cuts following the Government’s austerity programme.

Pressures

All of next year’s planned rise is to support adult social care and children's services, which together account for nearly 70 per cent of council spend.

“Rightly people will ask why they should pay more for less but Government is cutting grants to councils and expecting council tax payers to shoulder a greater share of the cost of council services," Councillor Carter said.

"We are doing as much as we can by introducing plans to help ease the cost pressures on adults and looked after children’s services in particular. But the cost of providing these services and the numbers needing support are growing as are the charges we have to pay to private sector care providers as they face increasing cost pressures.

“It is a very serious state of affairs. Every day residents are now seeing the impact that cuts in Government funding are having on their local hospital, their local police force and their local council.”

“I will also be asking the borough’s MPs to join us in helping to fight these latest cuts in Government grant here, as other MPs in Shropshire have successfully done for Shropshire Council, and campaign together for fair funding for our borough.”