Council tax rise and free parking extension confirmed as Wakefield Council passes new budget

The hike will be accompanied by a two per cent adult social care precept and will kick in at the beginning of April.

The rise will help plug a £32m deficit in the council's finances, with the ruling Labour group blaming a lack of funding from central government and rising social care demand.

Labour's other proposals include continuing two hours' free parking at public car parks, setting up an emergency fund to help parents pay for school uniform, hiring more park wardens and investing in children's play areas.

The Opposition Conservative group leader did not speak out against the tax rise, with the alternative plans the party put forward taking account of the extra revenue it will bring.

Speaking at Wednesday's Budget meeting, council leader Denise Jeffery said: "These priorities are based on what local people have told us they want.

"Building a future that works for all is at the heart of the work of this council and at the heart of this budget I put forward today."

Citing the impact of public spending cuts since 2010, Coun Jeffery added: "If this government is committed to levelling up, giving Wakefield people back the £170m they’ve taken off them would be a good start.

"This budget I believe makes the best use of every penny. It delivers value for money and it ensures we can provide the day-to-day services people rely on this district."

However, the meeting was overshadowed by a debate about the Conservatives' proposals to turn off some streetlights in the district after midnight.Labour councillors described that idea as "absolute lunacy", while two of the Tories' own members voted against their party's alternative budget.

The Conservatives' other suggestions included cutting council funding for trade union representatives, more investment for repairing potholes and exploring the prospect of a leisure centre for Horbury and Ossett.

They also repeated the claim that the two hours' free parking scheme had been a Tory idea copied by Labour.

Group leader Nic Stansby said: "We’ve produced a budget amendment for the future, not the past which is where trade union convenors belong.

“The Labour group has a habit of adopting our own policies later on as their own

"We stand by these ideas. We believe they’re things that would improve our residents’ lives."

Fellow Conservative Tony Hames was critical of Labour's economic plans for the district, which he attacked for revolving around low wages and benefiting Leeds at Wakefield's expense.

Coun Jeffery had earlier called for Wakefield businesses to mimic the council in rising the local living wage to £9.90 an hour.

She said she wanted to support an economy that works for everyone, adding, "This means not just growing business and jobs, but businesses delivering on their responsibities to the communities they operate in."

But Coun Hames said: "The economy won’t work for everyone if we just keep building distribution warehouses centres like we are at Newmarket and we get all the low paid jobs that come with it.

"We don't want to give up our greenbelt just to make Leeds the centre of attraction in the north of England. We've got to be part of the Northern Powerhouse."

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat group leader Tom Gordon said: "I don't envy the Labour council having to produce a balanced budget, credit where credit's due.

"It's not easy in times when financial stability has been thrown out of the window by Covid and sanctions on Russia. It's not going to get easier anytime soon."

But he added that he couldn't support the budget because his own residents in Knottingley were ultimately "paying more and getting less".

Local Democracy Reporting Service