Plans to raise council tax in Torbay by 4.75%

Torbay Council is planning to raise council tax in April by 4.75%, the same increase as last year.

The increase is 0.24% less than the maximum the authority is allowed to raise the levy without holding a referendum.

It comes at a time when many local authorities around the country are having to raise council tax up to the government cap and in some cases exceed it.

Torbay Council said it recognised the ongoing cost-of-living pressures faced by communities, while at the same time avoiding cuts to services for the second year running.

The unitary authority has more than £10m extra money this year from the Local Government Finance Settlement.

There are plans to spend £32.6m on capital investment programmes, which include Paignton and Preston Promenade and Oldway Mansion.

Extra money will also be spent on waste collections, improving the towns and supporting rough sleepers. Money will be put aside for additional affordable housing and play parks.

For more than a decade, Torbay Council had to make significant cuts each year to balance the books, but this is the second year running when the authority has not had to do so.

"We've kind of gone through that kind of period where we had to make all of those drastic cuts and very draconian cuts," said councillor David Thomas, the leader of the council.

"However, where we are now, we are in a position where we have a much more stable budget," he added.

"We've had to make savings, but what we have tried to do is we've tried to do those savings within the year, rather than having a cliff edge at this time of year."

The proposed budget has been broadly welcomed by the opposition parties, but there is a feeling the administration could have done more.

"The Tory Council have done very well out of the government settlement and much better than [for] many, many years," said councillor Swithin Long, the Lib Dem leader of the opposition.

"It will disappoint two lots of people though. There were those who were expecting for council tax to be kept down as was promised by the administration. Council tax will be going up.

"And also there will be many people who were expecting more investment in things like highways."

"It's as good a budget as you can expect in the current circumstances," said councillor Darren Cowell, leader of the independent group.

"I think it is based on sound financial management over the past four to six years.

The proposals still have to be debated by the full council and agreed by 27 February.