Councillors looks set to back a council tax rise of almost five per cent when they meet to discuss the borough’s new budget.

The rise would be the maximum permitted under government rules without triggering a local referendum, and would see tax on a Band D property rise by £83.60 a year - taking it to £1,758.89.

The increase includes 2.99 per cent basic council tax, and two per cent for adult social care. Additional charges – or precepts – will be added on top of that by the emergency services.

Cheshire Police has set its precept at £262.94 for a Band D, an increase of £12.50 or 4.99 per cent. Cheshire Fire and Rescue has set its at £90.09 for a Band D, an increase of £2.61 or 2.99 per cent. A fee of £19 – the same as last year – will also be payable to the Liverpool City Region.

This takes the total Band D council tax (before parish precepts) to £2,130.92-a-year, an increase of £98.71, or 4.86 per cent.

Residents of certain areas in Halton will have to pay additional precepts to fund their local parishes. The figure in Hale is £88.22, Daresbury is £45.66,  Moore is £18.23, Preston Brook is £141.74,  Halebank is 75.02, and Sandymoor is £29.09.

Halton’s ruling cabinet has already backed the the borough’s budget of almost £149.5m for the coming year, but it will all need to be approved by Full Council tomorrow, Wednesday, at Runcorn Town Hall.

A report to the council, said: “While this budget should provide the council with sufficient resources to meet its anticipated spending needs, it is essential that work continues in-year to reduce reliance upon agency staff in particular and to ensure all spending remains within budget by year-end.

"In addition, all approved savings must be delivered on schedule to avoid creating further spending pressures."

Councillors are also expected to approve a 100 per cent council tax charge on properties where there is no resident but are substantially (typically referred to as second homes) from April next year.

The borough is also part way through a three-year programme of cuts which were signed off at least year’s budget, these cuts included closure of Ditton and Warrington Road Daycare Centres, and the eventual closure of the council-run school meals service.

But despite these cuts and ongoing efforts to restructure services, the council said it still faces a funding gap over the next three years of nearly £10.5m. A report to the cabinet previously said spending has gone over budget in some departments, with the report saying the most significant budget pressure continues to be children’s social care, and in particular residential care costs, where the council are experiencing both growth in the number of residential placements and in terms of cost per placement.

The meeting takes place at 6.30pm.