Leader to present a 'fantastic budget'

Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow will tomorrow present what he called a "fantastic" budget which will see the authority spending nearly half a billion pounds over the coming 12 months.

The budget includes a savings target of £7.1 million which the council is aiming to reinvest in services. In recent months an extra £3.3 million has also come the way of the authority, including £1.1 million from an increase in its council tax base and £498,000 from revising the council tax relief on empty properties.

Council tax increases will be no more than 3.5 per cent, with two areas - south Shropshire and Oswestry - seeing no rise in the Shirehall share of their overall bill as the authority seeks to equalise bills across the county.

For the average band D householder, the biggest increase will be in Bridgnorth where the council levy will rise by £39.39 (76p weekly) to £1,164.72.

In the former North Shropshire district the increase will be £8.26 while in Shrewsbury and Atcham it will amount to £14.88.

Councillor Barrow said today: "It is fantastic budget to deliver and one that other councils would die for."

He said £2.2 million was being put aside to help the authority meet the expected Government squeeze on future funding.

In Telford & Wrekin council taxpayers are facing a 1.9 per cent increase. It will mean mean people in a band B household paying 31p a week extra or 39p in a band D property.

Just over £59 million is earmarked for the redevelopment of Telford Town Centre over the next two years.

Nationally council tax levels will rise by 1.6 per cent to an average £1,192.