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Near 5 per cent Staffordshire council tax rise is defended

Staffordshire County Council's leader has defended a council tax increase of nearly five per cent – saying it was 'the right thing to do'.

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People from areas covered by Staffordshire County Council - including places around Wolverhampton such as Perton, Pattingham, Wombourne and Essington - could be affected by a 4.95 per cent rise after the council's leader said the budget was the authority's 'most challenging ever.'

A move to increase money spent in social care means the rise of 4.95 per cent for 2017/18 is higher than the 3.95 per cent that had been mooted just weeks ago.

The Government had given councils the go-ahead to increase funding for social care by three per cent before Christmas.

As a result Staffordshire residents are also provisionally looking at council tax rises of 4.95 per cent in 2018/19, 1.95 per cent in 2019/20 and 3.95 per cent in 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Labour group leader Councillor Sue Woodward said: "It does not relieve the pressure, it shows the Government is not listening to local authorities. The council tax is increasing but that the services are being cut."

Councillor Philip Atkins, the Conservative leader of the council, said increasing council tax was 'the right thing to do'.

He said: "This budget, while undoubtedly the most challenging we have seen to date, will help us build on our track record of growing our economy and also see us, at a record £300m, spending even more on adults and children's social care next year.

"Over the last seven years we have reduced our own running costs by around £200m. This year as well as reducing our costs, we have had to take very difficult decisions in order to bridge a significant shortfall." The final budget proposals will be presented at full council on February 16.

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