How 66 councillors voted - or abstained - on raising Shropshire's council tax by nine per cent

From April, residents in the Shropshire Council area will see their bills go up after the rise was approved by the majority of councillors yesterday (February 26). It equates to about £162.42 a year more for an average band D property, from £1,806.67 to £1,969.09.

Normally the maximum amount council tax can go up by is 4.99 per cent – any more and a local referendum has to be called, unless the Government gives special dispensation.

In this instance, Shropshire Council got the green light from Westminster to increase the amount by a further four per cent, without holding a referendum, due to its perilous financial state. The council says it will bring in an extra £8.8 million.

It comes after the authority was given the go ahead to borrow nearly £190 million from the Government to avoid bankruptcy.

Council leader Heather Kidd said that without the large rise the authority would have to borrow more – costing residents more money in the long term.

Therefore, she said, although “it’s really painful for us,” the Liberal Democrat-led administration had no choice.

She was always going to be supported by her fellow Lib Dem councillors when it came to the vote, but she was also backed by the Labour and Green/Progressive Independent groups. Councillor Rosemary Dartnall, leader of the Labour Group, said there was no alternative, adding “it is a vital part of getting the council back on track".

Meanwhile Green Party leader Councillor Duncan Kerr said the system for local government funding “is clearly irretrievably broken".

“Many families in Shropshire who are already victims of the cost of living crisis will be dreading the council tax bill landing on the door mat,” he said.

“We need to move every stone to get help to them as soon as possible.”

The only councillors who voted against the budget were from either Reform UK or the Conservatives. The solitary independent, Councillor Donna Edmunds, also voted against it, while Councillor Chris Lemon, of the Greens, abstained.

The 44 councillors who voted in favour of the budget:

• Sho Abdul (Liberal Democrat, Whitchurch West)

• Caroline Bagnall (Labour, Broseley)

• Bernie Bentick (Lib Dem, Meole)

• Neil Bentley (Lib Dem, Cheswardine)

• Jeremy Blandford (Lib Dem, Market Drayton North)

• Duncan Borrowman (Lib Dem, Llanymynech)

• Rachel Connolly (Green/Progressive Independents, Bridgnorth West & Tasley)

• Tom Dainty (Lib Dem, Market Drayton East and Rural)

• Jamie Daniels (Lib Dem, Abbey)

• Rosemary Dartnall (Lab, Column and Sutton)

• Andy Davis (Lib Dem, St Oswald)

• Julian Dean (Green/Progressive Independents, Porthill)

• Joshua Dickin (Lib Dem, Craven Arms)

• Greg Ebbs (Lib Dem, Whitchurch South)

• Roger Evans (Lib Dem, Longden)

• Adam Fejfer (Lib Dem, Monkmoor)

• Rhys Gratton (Lib Dem, Harlescott)

• Gary Groves (Lib Dem, Wem)

• Andy Hall (Lib Dem, Whitchurch North)

• Alan Holford (Lib Dem, Lib Dem, Wem)

• Ruth Houghton (Lib Dem, Bishop’s Castle)

• Ben Jephcott (Lib Dem, Bagley)

• Robert Jones (Lib Dem, Ruyton and Baschurch)

• Duncan Kerr (Green/Progressive Independents, Oswestry South)

• Heather Kidd (Lib Dem, Chirbury and Worthen)

• Sarah Marston (Lib Dems, The Meres)

• David Minnery (Lib Dem, Market Drayton South)

• Vicky Moore (Lib Dem, Oteley and Reabrook)

• Mark Morris (Lib Dem, The Strettons)

• Alan Mosley (Lab, Castlefields and Ditherington)

• Chris Naylor (Lib Dem, Burnell)

• James Owen (Lib Dem, Oswestry North East)

• Mark Owen (Lib Dem, Oswestry South East)

• Wendy Owen (Lib Dem, Oswestry North)

• Viv Parry (Lib Dem, Ludlow South)

• Rosie Radford (Lib Dem, Ellesmere Urban)

• Jon Tandy (Lib Dem, Bicton Heath)

• Colin Taylor (Bridgnorth South and Alveley)

• David Vasmer (Lib Dem, Underdale)

• Alex Wagner (Lib Dem, Quarry and Coton Hill)

• Beverley Waite (Lib Dem, Ludlow East)

• David Walker (Lib Dem, Whittington)

• Sam Walmsley (Lib Dem, Clun)

• Rob Wilson (Lib Dem, Copthorne)

The 21 councillors who voted against the budget:

• Elizabeth Barker (Reform UK, Shifnal Rural)

• Ed Bird (Conservative, Shifnal South)

• Thomas Clayton (Reform, Shifnal North)

• Susan Coleman (Con, Severn Valley)

• Mandy Duncan (Reform, Sundorne and Old Heath)

• Susan Eden (Reform, Bridgnorth East)

• Donna Edmunds (Independent, Hodnet)

• Brian Evans (Reform, St Martins)

• Harry Hancock-Davies (Reform, Battlefield)

• Nick Hignett (Con, Rea Valley)

• George Hollyhead (Reform, Brown Clee)

• Dawn Husemann (Reform, Claverley and Worfield)

• Peter Husemann (Reform, Bridgnorth Castle)

• Nigel Lumby (Con, Albrighton)

• Brendan Mallon (Reform, Tern)

• Ed Potter (Con, Loton)

• Sharon Ritchie-Simmons (Reform, Highley)

• Carl Rowley (Reform, St Martins)

• Charles Shackerley-Bennett (Reform, Clee)

• Colin Stanford (Con, Corvedale)

• Dan Thomas (Con, Much Wenlock)

The one councillor who abstained:

• Chris Lemon (Green/Progressive Independents, Radbrook)

The eight councillors who were not at the meeting so didn’t vote:

• Andy Boddington (Lib Dem, Ludlow North)

• David Davies (Reform, Stottesdon Kinlet and Hopton Wafers)

• Pamela Davies (Reform, Cleobury Mortimer)

• Craig Emery (Green/Progressive Independents, Selattyn and Gobowen)

• Kate Halliday (Lab, Belle Vue)

• Malcolm Myles-Hook (Lib Dem, Prees)

• Teri Trickett (Lib Dem, Bayston Hill)

• Alison Williams (Lib Dem, Shawbury)