Labour councillors fail in bid to cut Cheshire West and Chester council tax rise

COUNCIL tax payers in Ellesmere Port and Neston face an overall below inflation council tax rise of 2.54%

The figure covers Cheshire West and Chester Council and the Fire and Police authorities.

Disappointed Labour councillors failed to persuade Cheshire West and Chester’s ruling Tory administration to back a 1.25%rise – half the 2.5% increase which had been put forward.

Cllr Justin Madders (Central and Westminster), Labour’s Finance chief, put forward a near £2m package of changes which were voted down by the Tories.

He said after the near four-hour meeting: “As the Tory’s council tax increase is one of the biggest in the country and some of their own members had said in the debate how disappointed they were that the public were facing such a large increase above the national average, I thought we might get support for this proposal”.

He argues Labour would have achieved “painless efficiencies” which would not have affected services such as better management of vacancies and by reducing a half a million pound increase in training proposed by Tories.

“We were also going to use some money that the Tories are sitting on to reduce council tax,” he continued.

“I took the view that while we are just emerging from the recession it is better to give help people now by reducing their council tax increase.

“The Tories rejected this out of hand. I think they were embarrassed that despite being such tough businessmen they didn’t identify these savings themselves.

“Or maybe it is that they just want to keep the money up their sleeve for the council elections next year.

“Either way, the public lose out”.

Tories say the 2.5% rise fulfils their pledge to the electorate and will result in an average weekly rise of 49p.

But for the below average level of Government grant to Cheshire West and Chester, it could have been even less, according to their Finance executive member, Cllr Les Ford (Con, Frodsham and Helsby).

The borough lost out on £900,000 which would have cut the council tax rise to 1.8%, he argues pointing out the band D figure of £1,254.59 is still £180 below the UK average.

Tories say the budget prepares for a future projected 10% cut in Government grant, protects front-line services and contributes £10m to the council’s £30m savings target.