Dudley Council approves 4.99 per cent council tax rise, return of free parking and pop-up tips after Tory deal with Lib Dems
Dudley Council's finance chief 'had his hands tied behind his back' in imposing a 4.99 per cent increase in council tax, its council leader claimed.
Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said the council had wanted to peg the council tax to three per cent, but had been forced to impose a 4.99 per cent increase after the authority received the second-worst financial settlement in the West Midlands.
The increase will take the council tax to £2,145 for an average band D property.
The council tax is also expected to rise by the same amount for the next five years under a budget approved by the council tonight (February 23).
Two hours' free parking in town centre car parks and pop-up tips in Sedgley and Netherton would be restored as part of the budget, which was passed with the support of the Liberal Democrat group after Councillor Harley agreed to a Liberal Democrat amendment outlining 19 specific areas for attention - 10 of them in the two wards held by Liberal Democrats.
The Liberal Democrat amendment also proposes council-tax exemption for patients receiving end-of-life care, and a 25 per cent reduction for armed forces veterans.
Councillor Pete Lowe, leader of the Black Country Party, a group which broke away from the Labour Party last year, said the deal 'made a farce of democracy', and would potentially lead to every ward councillor tabling amendments for the benefit of their own wards.
Councillor Harley admitted he would not have otherwise supported the amendment, but had little choice given that the Liberal Democrats held the balance of power.
