Council tax will rise by five per cent in Midlothian in the year ahead as a last minute agreement among councillors saw plans to cut council jobs put on hold.
Stand alone toilets are to close and there will be a one per cent budget cut across schools as part of measures to plug a £14 million hole in the council budget.
A meeting of the council this morning saw elected members agree not to push ahead with savings proposals which would have seen school crossing patrols axed, librarians and countryside rangers jobs cut and the removal of community police officers as well as a reduction in free music tuition in schools.
