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Council tax rise is given go-ahead

Bethan Dorsett
22/ 2/2008

TRAFFORD householders will face a five per cent council tax hike from April.

The Tory-led administration says the increase is necessary because it has not received enough cash from the government.

It also states that the extra money will be poured into a range of services including education and street cleaning.

But the decision has outraged opposition leaders who say vulnerable residents will ‘bear the brunt’ of the increase.

The proposal to increase the rates by 5.1 per cent – taking into account the 0.2 per cent for emergency services – was approved by councillors on Tuesday night.

Partington residents pay an extra rate set by the town council.

The hike bucks the trend set by other authorities such as Oldham and Bolton, which look set to freeze their current rates, while Wythenshawe residents are likely to face an rise at or below inflation pledged by Manchester City Council.

Leader Councillor Susan Williams says the new rate was set after the council was awarded an extra £3.5m from the government, the lowest amount of town hall funding in Greater Manchester.

But it means the council can pour an extra £18.5m into services including road and footpath maintenance, recycling and waste management, community safety, schools funding and care for vulnerable adults, as well as provide the cash to employ extra call centre staff.

Cllr Williams said: "Trafford has delivered year on year under this administration, despite a lack of resources from the government." But Labour councillors have slammed the hike, which they say will hit vulnerable residents in the pocket, particularly after a ‘significant’ council tax increase last year.

They have already criticised a merger between the borough’s libraries and the council information service, which is expected to save half a million pounds, and the closure of several adult care homes.

Councillor Barry Brotherton, the party’s finance opposition spokesman, said: "At just over five per cent, Conservative Trafford’s council tax increase looks likely to be the highest in Greater Manchester."

He added that the rate is above that recommended by the government, which could use its powers to ‘cap’ Trafford’s council tax rates.

"Once again, the elderly and most vulnerable members of our society are to bear the brunt of the Tories’ cuts and increased charges," he said.

The Labour leader, Councillor David Acton, says the Tories are yet to make another £2m of unspecified budget cuts.

"It’s our view that the Tories have got their priorities wrong in setting this budget," he added.

Cllr Williams refuted these claims, stating the increase in funds for some services reflects the needs of residents, such as the £150,000 allocated for extra street cleaning teams and the £7m boost for schools.

She said the council had coped well despite a lack of external funding and was told it was "improving strongly" in a recent report from the Audit Commission.

Defending the hike, she added that the rise could in the long term reduce rates, as the investment in services such as footpath maintenance, for example, could prevent future accident claims.

"The Labour group had a shopping list of 39 priorities when it was in power," she added.

"I think we have better reflected the priorities of people in Trafford."