Kirklees residents will see their council tax bills rise by the maximum 4.99 per cent despite cuts to services as local authority tackles £43million deficit in the coming year

The Labour group’s budget was voted through on Wednesday with no amendments being adopted from those suggested by opposition parties.

This means the anticipated 4.99 per cent council tax increase has now been confirmed.

The increase consists of a 2.99 per cent increase in council tax and a two per cent increase in the adult social care precept, equating to an additional £1.63 a week to be paid by those living in a Band D property and £1.09 per week for Band A.

When presenting the budget proposals, Coun Paul Davies spoke of the “extraordinary economic pressures” caused by international and home-grown issues.

He said: “We’ve seen interest rates sky-rocket, our exchange rates plummet and costs for energy, goods, services each put pressure on households and businesses across Kirklees.

“The combination of the cost-of-living crisis and extra demands on services means the council needs to overcome a deficit of £43m for the coming year. That’s the stark reality facing the council tonight.

“It’s worth all members of the council taking a moment to reflect on the seriousness of the situation and to consider the implications of recklessness and failure for the thousands of residents who rely on us.

“In the context of chaos and uncertainty, our budget brings stability.”

Priorities within the budget include the protection of services for children, older people and those with disabilities.

A £6m bailout has been allocated for Kirklees Active Leisure and £19m “efficiency savings” or “cuts”, as they were described by some councillors, will be made across all council departments.

Coun Carole Pattison described it as “the worst budget I have ever faced”.

She explained that the council needs to recognise the “rock-bottom” place it is in and added if she were a conspiracy theorist she “might actually think that the Tory government has almost achieved its aim of getting rid of local government”.

Opposition parties also presented their amendments.

When moving the Conservative amendment, Coun John Taylor (Con, Kirkburton) said: “This administration is not ambitious enough about the things that matter to people in their daily lives.”

He added that it’s easy to propose “grandiose schemes but at the same time they can’t even get the bins emptied at Christmas”.

Coun Tyler Hawkins (Dalton, Labour) spoke against the Conservative amendment.

He said: “Some of our towns are a good decade behind our neighbours but the Conservative solution is to put us two decades behind. That’s a very novel approach.”

Coun Hawkins also criticised the Green’s amendments as a “pie in the sky wishlist” and described the Lib Dems as “trying to play both the role of firefighter and arsonist”.

The Lib Dems amendment included investments in highways infrastructure, free bulky waste collections, incentivising the use of electric vehicles and fast-tracking the review of the council’s Local Plan.

Coun John Lawson described Labour’s budget as a “treading water budget” while the administration waits for a change in government.

The Greens proposed investment in renewable energy across Kirklees from KAL’s swimming pools to the council’s housing stock.

They also suggested the creation of a council-owned company to provide services such as gardening to residents and funding for active travel.