COUNCILLORS from Caerphilly county borough have backed the 'lowest council tax rise in Wales' for the second year running.

At a special meeting yesterday, full council agreed to the one per cent rise— a change equating to a 19p per week increase on a band D property.

The decision follows cabinet’s final approval for 2017/18 budget proposals earlier this month which includes a net revenue pot of £325.431 million.

The new budget includes a £3.5million investment in social services, a £1.3million funding boost for schools and £250,000 for Welsh Language Standards.

Around £120,000 will also be contributed towards the City Deal Regional Cabinet, which Caerphilly Council voted to join earlier this year.

While the council received an additional £326,000 in their local government settlement, it still saw an overall cash reduction of £342,000 due to “new responsibilities” and “funding commitments”.

The decision also follows Caerphilly County Borough Council agreeing the lowest council tax rise in Wales in 2016/17.

At the meeting, leader of Caerphilly’s Plaid Cymru group, Cllr Colin Mann, welcomed the one per cent rise but stated that the Plaid group would not support the budget.

He outlined several reasons for this, including the money “squandered” on the Local Development Plan (LDP) and residents “paying through the nose” for proposed service cuts to parks, litter wardens and waste services in the future.

The Plaid leader also criticised the council’s consultation exercise and said: “Labour announced their intentions for the budget and then carried out an exercise which was described as consultation.

"Consultation should come before a decision is taken, not afterwards."

Cllr Gary Johnston, speaking at the meeting, said the Plaid leader had failed to bring forward an alternative on the budget issue “year after year” and called him “clueless”.

Council leader, Cllr Keith Reynolds, added: “This authority has had to take over £50 million pounds out of the budget during the last four years.

“We have done that and at the same time we have kept council tax at one of the lowest increases, if not the lowest increases, in the whole of Wales.

“Tonight, from the leader of the nationalists, we have had a lot of rhetoric but again no answers.

“They have totally abdicated their responsibilities over the last five years in this authority by not having the courage or vision to say or do anything.”

Councillors agreed to approve the budget in a majority vote with 42 voting for approval, 13 against and one abstention.

The budget was the result of six-week public consultation which took place between December 5, 2016 and January 14, 2017 with a total of 41 surveys completed.

In terms of improvements, respondents recommended the council “capitalise on assets available” such as working with Cadw to increase visitors to Caerphilly Castle and the town centre.

Council officers added that the medium term financial plan for the authority could involve “at least” a further £29 million in cuts in 2018/19 and across the following four years.

To watch the webcast online, click here.