People in Stockport will see their council tax bills rise by more than 4 per cent from April after town hall bosses passed a ‘robust’ budget for the year ahead.
The Lib Dems’ proposals were approved despite opposition from the Tories, with no parties tabling an alternative budget or any amendments.
Council tax will go up by 4.3pc overall - including 1.99pc for ‘general purposes’ and 2pc ring fenced for adult social care - the rest being made up by Andy Burnham’s mayoral precepts.
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It means the average 'Band D' household’s bill will rise by £7.69 more per month.
The budget includes a £7.3m cuts package -including increased prices for parking, replacement bins and registrars services.
But it also set aside £1.9m to extend free school meals to struggling families that otherwise would not qualify for help. Each of the borough’s 21 wards will also receive £10k to spend on projects which are a priority in their community.
The annual financial plan was presented to the full council by Coun Malcolm Allan, cabinet member for finance and resources.
Coun Allan told the town hall meeting soaring inflation and rising interest rates had meant a freeze had not been possible. But Stockport’s council tax rise - excluding the mayoral precepts - was the equal lowest in Greater Manchester and one of the lowest nationwide.
He added that efforts had been focused on helping ‘those people most in need during the cost of living crisis and those people least able to help themselves’.
This had led to the decision to use one-off monies and the household support fund to extend free school meals to children from struggling families that would not otherwise have qualified for them.
The £1.8m package of support was passed as a Labour motion by the full council last month and adopted by the Lib Dems who say it fits ‘fairly and squarely’ with their approach.
Coun Allan added that, whilst it was right for the council to focus on the most disadvantaged, it was ‘also important we give everybody a bit of help during the current cost of living crisis’
In that vein, some £260k in remaining one-off monies will be distributed to each of the borough’s 21 wards to be spent on the priorities of each individual community.
“We believe that helps all residents as well as tackling issues that are particularly important in those local wards,” Coun Allan told the meeting.
He thanked the opposition groups for their help in setting the budget, adding: “What we have developed, we believe, from that is a balanced budget that helps everybody in the borough to a greater or lesser degree - and in particular those people most in need.
“We have a robust financial plan for the year ahead and that financial plan I commend to the council chamber.”
Labour generally welcomed the plan and were pleased their free school meal proposal had been incorporated into the budget, describing it as the ‘big prize’.
While they voted it through, they noted that they may have had different priorities when it came to the use of the remaining £260m in one-off monies.
Coun Tom McGee, deputy leader of the Labour group, stressed the need for accountability for how the money was used in wards, raising concerns it could be used on ‘pet projects’.
But while Labour agreed the economic headwinds of the last 12 months - and their impact on council finances - had been unforeseeable, the Conservatives were more critical.
Tory leader Coun Mike Hurleston suggested the Lib Dems ‘loudly trumpeted’ ambition to freeze had been a cynical exercise in telling people what they wanted to hear ‘without regard to their own policies’.
“We recognise that these are regressive proposals that hurt those with the lowest income and we will vote against them,” he added.
But Coun Mark Hunter, Lib Dem leader of the council, fired back claiming the Conservative boss knew full well the problem lay at the door of the government which had ‘squeezed’ local authority budgets year on year.
“Although the budget process has been tough again this year as we attempt to do more with less, thanks to central government, we do face the future with confidence and we will not flinch from taking difficult decisions as we strive to deliver our twin aims of value for money and quality frontline services.”
Stockport full council met at the town hall on Thursday night (February 23).
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