Council tax rise of 7% approved in Falkirk

Council tax in Falkirk will rise by 7% in a bid to prevent the local authority reaching a "financial cliff edge" within three years.

Chief executive Kenneth Lawrie warned councillors that the "fundamental mismatch" between spending and income would have to change quickly.

The council needs to save £63m in order to balance its books.

Council leader Cecil Meiklejohn said it was the most challenging budget the authority had ever faced.

She also highlighted added pressure from outside factors, including soaring energy prices and interest rate cuts.

Falkirk currently has the fifth-lowest level of council tax in Scotland.

SNP and Conservative councillors voted to approve the rise in a bid to gradually reach the Scottish average over the next four years.

The current band D charge for Falkirk is £1,274.60, which is £72 less than the Scottish average.

Councillor Meiklejohn said: "The council tax increase is £1.74 per week but the cost of that income to us will significantly help to support services."

Chief executive Kenneth Lawrie said: "If we don't take the challenging decisions and rely overly on service concessions we will very quickly reach a financial cliff edge.

"The consequences of that will be very serious for our council and our communities."

Mr Lawrie said that the council's workforce would have to shrink but he remained hopeful that this could be done without any compulsory redundancies.

The Labour group leader Anne Hannah said that her group could not "in all conscience" support the budget.

The four Independent councillors also each said they would not support the budget

Bo'ness councillor Ann Ritchie abstained from voting, although she said a 7% increase in council tax was "far too much for many people."

But the Conservative group said they accepted the council needed to set a balanced budget.

Story by local democracy reporter Kirsty Paterson.