Council signs off maximum tax hike as funding cuts blasted

Elected members convened at Runcorn Town Hall last night, Wednesday, where they unanimously backed the borough’s 2024/25 revenue budget of £149.5m.

The budget included increasing council tax to almost five per cent. The rise is the maximum permitted under government rules without triggering a local referendum, and will now 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.

Councillor Tom McInerney hit out at the government during the meeting (Image: LDRS)

Cheshire Police has set its precept at £262.94 for a Band D, an increase of £12.50 - the maximum 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.

Members also backed a new charge which will see 100 per cent council tax charged on second homes.

Halton Council leader Mike Wharton, said: "This has been the most challenging budget we as a council have ever had to set. We are not alone in this. Members will see over the last few months council after council now facing the financial abyss due to years of austerity and underfunding."

He said that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s spring budget - delivered earlier that day - had offered ‘no respite’ to local authorities.

The council is currently amid a three-year programme of cuts which was signed off last year, this includes 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.

In addition to a council tax hike of 4.99 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.

Councillor Mark Dennett, executive board member for corporate services, said: "These included increases of 59 per cent for both Hale and Preston Brook parishes, and 21 per cent for Daresbury perish.

"These are staggering increases approved by the respective parish councils, which appear to pay little heed to the cost of living crisis and the burden falling on their residence."

Cllr Margaret Ratcliffe, leader of the Liberal Democrats – the main opposition group in Halton – backed the council budget. She said: "Many people are feeling the pain of today's cost of living crisis and we acknowledge that a large percentage of residents in Halton fall below the minimum income for basic needs.

"It is our role as councillors to continue to pressurise government for more funds and to make more make them constantly aware of how our residents need more support."

There was a round of applause for Cllr Tom McInerney (Labour) who hit out at the government’s legacy, he said £52m had been taken out of the council since 2010 due to government funding cuts.

He added: "What was the biggest insult was when he (Jeremy Hunt) was talking about the funding for public services. He actually said that local councils need to increase their productivity. Well, I can tell you that the people in this authority work their socks off every single day trying to ameliorate the things that this government has done to the people of this authority."

A named vote was then taken and the budget was passed unanimously.