Council tax rates to rise in Scotland’s biggest cities
COUNCIL tax is set to rise in both Glasgow and Edinburgh by almost 5 per cent.
Councillors in Scotland’s largest city have voted to increase domestic rates by 4.64% while Edinburgh’s Snp-labour coalition have mandated a 4.79% hike.
Glasgow’s budget was passed after an amendment from the Scottish Greens was accepted.
The deal agreed includes proposed revenue savings of £26.5m, including the introduction of a charge for bulk waste collection.
SNP councillors said the budget protects teacher numbers and provides an extra £1m for action on climate change.
But opposition parties have criticised the bulk waste collection charge and “cuts” to street sweeping.
In the capital, councillors were faced with the need to save £87m over the next three years.
The local authority said it would use the money from the council tax rise to invest in “key priorities” such as new schools.
Cuts to nursery teacher numbers
and a review of senior management roles were also approved.
Councils across Scotland have the power to raise council tax by up to 4.8% this year.
It comes as parents protested outside Edinburgh City Chambers yesterday in a bid to halt £500,000 of cuts to the city’s music tuition in schools.
The demonstration came after more than 2,000 signed a petition against the plans, which are due to be debated by the council this week.
At the same time, staff from 15 universities across Scotland went on strike. The University College Union (UCU) and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) called the strikes in disputes over pay and conditions. The EIS say its strike was over lecturers’ pay which had been “cut, in real terms, by at least 20% [over] the past decade”.