Council tax rise approved

Jenny MeinJenny Mein
Jenny Mein
Lancashire County Council has approved a four per cent rise in Council Tax from April.

At the council’s annual budget meeting on Thursday, councillors approved what Deputy Leader Coun David Borrow (right) described as a ‘no change budget’, with most of its details agreed last year.

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But he warned of trouble ahead, saying the council will run out of cash soon unless the Government increases funding for social care and other services.

He said: “The problems going forward are immense.”

In the next financial year the council will use £73m from its reserves. County Coun Jennifer Mein, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “We do not want to increase council tax but our dire financial situation means we have no choice.

“Even allowing for a 3.99 per cent rise over the next four years we will still have a funding gap of £153m in 2020/21.”

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The tax rise includes a two per cent increase specifically for social care services and means a Band D council tax payer will face a county council charge of £1,221.74.

Tory councillor Michael Green failed in a bid to persuade the ruling Labour group to reinstate library and bus services affected by cuts when he introduced his party’s alternative budget.

Afterwards he said: “We are disappointed for the people of Lancashire.

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“This would have meant 26 libraries across the county could have reopened by July 1.”

The Tory proposals included spending £2.2m on reopening closed libraries, providing £1m in subsidies to retain existing subsidised bus routes and fund more bus services and £1m to provide employment opportunities for young people. Other proposals in the rejected £14m package included cutting the number of vacant posts continuing a subsidy for the Knott End ferry.

But his proposals were rebuffed with Liberal Democrat Coun David Whipp saying: “I’ve never seen such extreme Tory fantasy financing.”

The budget was approved by 45 votes to 30, with three abstentions.