Millions in cuts as Shropshire Council tax rise of 3.99 per cent agreed

Shropshire Councillors voted through their budget of £593 million for the coming year, with around £18 million worth of savings being made in different areas of the authority.

Council tax will rise by almost four per cent, which means the average band D household will pay £1,388, that is on top of a nine per cent rise in the police precept, a 2.99 per cent rise in fire precept, and 3.84 per cent rise at parish and town council level.

Council leader Peter Nutting said the budget had been put forward, because of unanswered questions about future government funding settlements, and he wants to see the county's MPs doing more about it.

The savings for this year come on the back of £48 million in the last three years, and councillor Nutting said: "We are in the fourth year of a four year funding settlement so we know what we are getting this year, but we don't have the foggiest idea of what we will be getting next year.

"There could be a big funding gap but I don't think they would take away 20 to 30 million from us.

"We believe if we got the average on the fair funding formula we would get 32 million extra and that would help any financial problems.

"Adult social care is costing 8 to 10 million extra a year, and for some reason children's services is going up, which could be down to County Lines.

Austerity

"We have pushed the MPs to push in parliament and they have done but I would like to see them up the ante to help us get more money.

"I believe this council will be on a sound financial footing for years to come, and I am not going to go down a 'spend, spend, spend' route."

Cuts in adult social care are £2.9 million, £1.5 million in children's services, £3.9 million from public health and £10.8 million from workforce and transformation.

Lib Dem leader Roger Evans hit out at the budget, stating that austerity had not ended, despite claims from the Tory government.

Labour leader Alan Moseley said it was crocodile tears from the Lib Dems, because austerity cuts were made by the previous coalition government.

He said the hardest people in the community are being hit by a string of cuts from the government.

He said: "This is a budget that points out the disasters of the past of this council.

"Don't take in that this is reorganisation of the council to change things, this is a sad day in the life of this council and the sad decline of this council."

Former leader of the council Malcolm Pate launched a stinging attack on the group leaders for not producing an alternative budget.

He added: "It is okay coming and moaning, but do your job properly and produce an alternative budget.

"I dread to think what it would be judging by national government."

The financial strategy was voted through by 40 votes to 19, and council tax by 56 to 2.