Council tax to rise by £61

COUNCIL tax payers face an average £61 rise in their bills this year.

The 4.5per cent hike means the average band D householder will fork out £1,405 a year for local government services.

By far the biggest increase was due to a 17 pc rise in the Cheshire Police Authority precept.

And while Conservatives at Macclesfield Borough Council proclaimed the council tax budget "a magnificent result" there was dissent from rival parties.

It is the last budget to be set by the borough council which is to be axed under local government reform and replaced by a larger Cheshire East unitary authority in 2009.

Coun Brendan Murphy accused finance chiefs of "raiding the reserves" and "selling off the family silver" in the new budget – by holding £7.6m of taxpayers money back for the new Cheshire authority.

The independent councillor said the finance plan gives officers a blank cheque destined for a joint pot to share with Congleton and Crewe and Nantwich when the new Cheshire East authority takes over next April.

"We are totally opposed to this," he said. "This money was paid by Macclesfield taxpayers and should be used for Macclesfield people.

"Money needed to finance the new council should be funded equally by the councils involved."

He said £35m of investment from borough coffers is already assured for the new authority, as well as millions more in assets including land, buildings and housing stock.

"That is more than enough of our family silver to be shared with Congleton and Crewe without giving them the petty cash box as well," said Coun Murphy.

He said he wanted to make sure money raised from the borough would be spent for their benefit.

There had been "a bit of trickery" in the carrying over of £7.6m to the new council, he said.

Both Congleton and Crewe and Nantwich borough councils say they cannot currently forecast the size of any reserve fund they would be contributing to the reorganised authority.

Meanwhile Council leader Wesley Fitzgerald blasted a "dramatic and unjustified" increase in charges for police services.

Addressing a packed council chamber, he said: "It seems the police calculated that they could get away with a cap-busting 17pc (rise) while the Macclesfield increase is still kept below 5pc.

"What exactly are we going to get from the police for such a massive increase? That is something we still await to see."

Police funding increased by 2.4pc with the county council securing a 3.5pc rise, the fire authority 2.8pc and parish councils 6.9pc.

Coun Frank Keegan, MBC portfolio holder for finance, said the budget, which was passed unopposed – though Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors abstained – addressed all pressing issues.

"This has been a magnificent result – the future looks bright for residents of Macclesfield borough," he said.

"We are going to invest this money in sites that are going to generate an annual return for the council taxpayer.

"We are also going to have some terrific assets transferred to us from Cheshire County Council. The reason we are coming together is so we can improve things for all the people in Cheshire East."

Labour leader, Coun Richard Watson, questioned the £454,000 increase to the budget of Streetscene, responsible for all waste management, and called for a wide-ranging review of the service.

Liberal Democrat Coun Colin Shepherd said the budget was not as good as it seemed when looking at the small print, and likened it to "a dodgy HP contract".

He said there were cuts in services, despite an overall 2.4pc budget increase.

"Funding for health improvement has reduced by 55pc over two years, which hardly seems to square with encouraging a healthy lifestyle," he said.

Community development funding had also been slashed by 55pc for the next two years, he said, while funding for leisure centres had fallen by 11pc.

Average Band D property council tax rates in Macclesfield 2008-9:

£1,431.90 Poynton

£1,423.47 Bollington

£1,423.35 Kettleshulme

£1,421.60 Alderley Edge

£1,418.88 Gawsworth

£1,415.57 Marton

£1,412.50 Prestbury

£1,411.08 Pott Shrigley