Council tax up by 5pc

Taxpayers in Cannock Chase face a rise of 4.9 per cent in their council tax bills – almost double the rate of inflation.

Coupled with rises agreed by Staffordshire County Council, the police authority and the fire service, the average annual rise for each person in the district will be £63, depending on which parish people live in.

Cannock Chase Council will be asking taxpayers to pay an extra £5.61 in the next financial year for Band A homes, £6.54 for Band B homes and £7.48 for Band C houses, which include the majority of homes in the district.

The increase is also expected to be repeated for the next two years.

At a meeting of the full council last night, council leader Councillor Neil Stanley presented the budget to councillors and claimed it would continue the policy of targeting resources at the highest priority areas.

Councillor Stanley revealed plans to extend the street warden scheme, introduce a shop mobility scheme in the three district towns which will cost around £40,000 a year, as well as plans to introduce decriminalised parking at a cost of £120,000 in 2008/09.

These boosts in service were contrasted by plans to increase bereavement services fees.

A bid by the opposition Labour group to put forward an alternative budget was thrown out by the Lib Dem/Tory coalition.

Labour councillors wanted to scrap the controversial Chase Leisure Village plan, including plans to close Pye Green Stadium.

They also called for weekly refuse collections in summer months and for the installation of public toilets in Cannock and Rugeley.

Labour's council tax would have seen a 2.9 per cent increase this year with five per cent over the next two years.