Shropshire Star

Telford council tax rise of 3.2% approved

A council tax rise of 3.2 per cent has been approved in Telford.

Published

Telford & Wrekin Council's budget was also passed at a meeting of the full council.

Members discussed both the controlling Labour authority's budget and an alternative budget put together by the Conservative councillors.

Last year, Labour councillors set out a three-year plan for its budget, with a 3.2 per cent rise per year in council tax. From the increase, two per cent will be used to help cover adult social care, with the remaining 1.2 per cent to help the authority manage in the wake of continuing cuts in grants from Government.

At the end of last year it held a public consultation over the plans, to gain residents' opinions on what they thought of the plans. Presenting the proposals to the meeting, Councillor Lee Carter, who represents College ward and is also cabinet member for finance, said the council would have to prepare for further cuts in the future, and even for a time when local authorities receive no funding from central government.

He also criticised the government for its austerity programme, which has failed to reduce the national debt.

He added: "Telford & Wrekin has done everything it has been asked to do.

"We are always looking at ways to protect the most vulnerable cuts. And that has taken this organisation out of what could be considered its comfort zone."

Though the council has been forced to make cuts of £96,000 he referenced projects like the solar farm and the council's housing company NuPlace, which will bring in around £3.2 million over the next three years and will help the council protect services in the wake of the ongoing cuts.

But the plans were challenged by the Tory proposals, and Conservative leader Councillor Andrew Eade, ward member for Church Aston and Lilleshall, said they had 'huge concerns' about the amount of borrowing by the authority. Presenting the budget, Conservative Councillor Adrian Lawrence, ward member for Muxton,

said: "A strategy built on debt is not good for the borough."

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