Councillors sign off almost 5% council tax rise

Council tax in Warrington is set to rise by just under 5% after councillors approved the latest budget.

The plans include £15.9m of targeted savings over the 2024/25 financial year but a £7.9m shortfall, which will be covered by reserves.

Warrington Borough Council approved the 4.98% increase with 40 councillors voting for the budget and nine against.

Hans Mundry, who leads the Labour authority, said the council had delivered “a balanced budget that serves the needs of the people of Warrington”.

There was a brief adjournment ahead of the meeting after a member of the public interrupted proceedings and was removed from the building, with the council’s chief executive asking for police to be called.

Labour councillor Denis Matthews said setting the budget “has never been more difficult".

“Councils across the country are being asked to deliver more and more while being given less from central government,” he said.

He added that the administration were “acutely aware” of the pressure on residents and the hike “has not been taken lightly”.

Conservative Kenneth Critchley said the budget appeared to have “been created in a world detached from reality from the perils of the financial situation Warrington Borough Council finds itself in”.

The Conservative group presented amendments on the treasury management strategy and the budget, both of which were rejected.

Conservative councillors also criticised the council’s general investment strategy.

The council currently has about £1.8bn of debt as it continues to fund a range of investments.

They include sites in the town such as Birchwood Park, Time Square and Golden Square Shopping Centre, but it has also invested in supermarkets in Greater Manchester, solar farms in York, Hull and Cirencester, a BT development being built in Salford and a third share of Redwood Bank.

An energy firm part-owned by the council collapsed in 2022.

Mr Matthews said £23m of profit from investments go to support services for residents.

Mr Mundry said he was “disappointed” by the Conservative group’s amendments.

He said he was hoping for a “credible” alternative budget from the opposition instead of “negativity”.

But Mr Critchley said the group had been “denied the required information which would have allowed an alternative budget to be presented” and if they had presented an alternative budget, it would have included a review of investments.

Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Marks said with increasing financial pressures he agreed with the administration that “creative” ways needed to be found

He said the group supported “many but not all of the investments made by Labour”.

“We accepted that setting budgets is extremely difficult these days and we’ll support the 4.98% rise,” he said.

Liberal Democrat Bob Barr added: “This is our responsibility, the responsibility of all councillors regardless of party to pass a balanced budget.”

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