Calderdale council taxpayers to see near-5% rise

Council tax in Calderdale will rise by almost 5% in April, after the 2024/25 budget was approved.

The increase is the maximum allowed without a referendum and includes a 2% rise for adult social care.

Calderdale Council's deputy leader Tim Swift urged the government to provide the resources councils needed to "meet local needs".

The government has said it was supporting councils with £65bn in the next financial year.

The £219m budget would prioritise "protecting the most vulnerable" and "delivering good quality services", according to the council.

The authority said its financial settlement from government meant it could defer a decision to close Elland Waste and Recycling centre for a year.

It has also protected some services for children with special educational needs and reduced the amount of cuts made to youth services.

However, savings would still need to be made over the next three years to ensure financial sustainability, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

This could include the sale of the Shay Stadium, which is home to football's FC Halifax Town and Halifax Panthers rugby league club.

Deputy leader, Tim Swift, blamed the funding gaps on the Conservative government and said the "tough times" were "not likely to end soon".

"I issue a clarion call to this and any future government to give councils the resources they need to meet local needs."

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said government support for councils had been increased by 7.5% to £64.7bn for the next financial year in recognition of the challenges they face.

An additional £500m was announced for councils in January to help fund children's and adult social care.

The Labour-led council faced opposition from Conservative councillors, who believed the budget included too much borrowing.

Conservative leader Steven Leigh called the council spending "profligate" and instead proposed a budget which included removing extra hours parking charges, continuing to run The Shay, and reducing council staff by 2%.

The Green Party also proposed a budget, which prioritised tackling climate emergency issues, paid for by removing the subsidy given to Halifax's Piece Hall Trust.

Both alternative budgets were rejected by a majority of councillors.

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