Lowest council tax hike for ten years (From Warrington Guardian)

Lowest council tax hike for ten years

GOLBORNE residents will pay their lowest council tax rise in 10 years.

A rise of 3.4 per cent will be levied by Wigan Borough Council from April, increasing the annual bill by £25 to £756 for more than half of residents, who live in Band A houses.

And no vital services will be cut, promise council chiefs.

Council leader Peter Smith made the announcement on Monday, February 23.

He said: "We received £13.8m extra from the Chancellor this year and have also made efficiency savings of £700,000.

"That, plus the extra freedoms we won after being rated an excellent council, have all helped to make possible a lower rise than in many other parts of the country."

Clr Smith said the tax rise for Wigan services alone was actually just 2.5 per cent, but the extra money required by the police and fire services has meant that overall, residents will pay slightly more.

An extra £800,000 for protecting vulnerable children and £2.6m more for schools, has also been pledged.

A council spokesman confirmed that vital services are those with which the public comes into contact, including libraries, leisure services, refuse collections, street cleansing, education and social services.

He said: "People should see an improvement because efficiency savings worth £700,000 are from non-frontline services such as administration costs in IT, finance and the chief executive's department."

Also included in the new budget is a promise - subject to planning permission - to underwrite part of the Leigh Sports Village development before grants are obtained, to enable an early start to be made.

And there is to be a small increase in the budget for public toilets, to embark on a new improvement strategy.