Council tax in 5pc hike to help look after elderly
COUNCIL tax is set to rise by nearly FIVE per cent to cover the rising costs of looking after the elderly.
Cheshire East Council originally proposed a 3.99pc hike last autumn.
But Prime Minister Theresa May has since asked councils to add a further 1pc to cover the ballooning adult social care bill.
It means residents in Macclesfield living in a Band D property will have to pay £1,324.92 per year – £60 more and the equivalent to an extra £1.21 per week.
On top of this the precepts for Cheshire Fire Service and Cheshire Police will also be increasing by 1.9pc and 2pc respectively.
Cheshire East Council is desperately trying to plug a £100m budget black hole between now and 2020.
Council chiefs say three per cent of the new council tax bill will go on tackling the demand on service from our ageing population.
Councillor Peter Groves, cabinet member for finance, said: “We will continue to create the right conditions for economic growth and prosperity for all, investing in people, social care and education.
“The costs associated with maintaining this level of quality in our services and our environment, are becoming increasingly challenging as national austerity measures continue to put pressure on local government, and as the costs of the health system continue to put all public services under severe financial pressure.”
The council’s annual corporate plan will go in front of the cabinet on Tuesday, February 7, ahead of a meeting of full council on February 23.
Council leader Rachel Bailey said while cuts will impact all of its 500 local services there is a capital programme of £300m to invest in infrastructure, education and regeneration of towns and villages.
She said: “We will continue to provide the right environment for our population to develop their skills, which will help them to secure meaningful long-term employment as well as supporting our local businesses. In addition, we will maintain a focus on the ‘quality of place’ in the borough, which will enable our economy to grow and help our local residents to access employment, education and leisure opportunities.
“Furthermore, we will also ensure that the countryside and open spaces are managed prudently and provide good quality frontline services, such as highways, waste collection and street cleansing, to ensure that the quality of the environment in the borough is maintained.”