Low tax rise on the cards

Cannock Chase Council may be set to impose the lowest council tax increase in Staffordshire.

The Express & Star can reveal that councillors are today expected to agree a 2.4 per cent rise.

This is significantly lower than neighbouring councils and less than rises set by Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire Police and the Fire Service. Council leader Neil Stanley, pictured, today pledged the budget was "safe and balanced."

A 2.4 per cent increase is equivalent to a £32.69 increase per year for an average Band D property with a total figure of £1,394.87. Most Cannock Chase homes are in the Band A and B brackets so most people will pay less than this.

The seven-member cabinet was due to approve their budget and recommend to next Wednesday's full council. During consultation the council suggested a list of spending plans and potential cuts.

Details of final decisions were due to be revealed at today's meeting.

It is thought plans to close some bowling greens in the district will go ahead, as will the closure of public toilets in Hednesford.

Museum worker Leon Jevons, who had been included as one of the cuts, will now keep his job. Councillor Stanley said that drawing up the budget had meant a lot of hard work and he added: "This figure is about half the level of some of our neighbours and we believe it is going to be the lowest council tax rise in Staffordshire."

He denied the budget was a risk saying: "We will be investing money in areas such as tackling anti-social behaviour and cleaning areas up but we listened to the consultation and there will be some areas where we can make savings."

Labour leader Doug Thomas said: "It will be the lowest in Staffordshire because nobody else is selling off an asset like Cannock Stadium. The big problem is in the delays in selling the stadium. It has been costing £80,000 a month."

Councillor Thomas said the Labour group would produce its own balanced budget without selling the stadium.