COUNCIL tax payers in Torfaen are facing a rise of nearly five per cent, according to the council’s budget proposals.

Torfaen County Borough Council has proposed a 4.95 percent increase in council tax, along with "modest” cuts of one per cent to various service areas.

Included in this is the reduction of third-party spending in adult services and a reduction in the authorities contribution to the Education Achievement Service (EAS).

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The council’s executive member for resource Cllr Kelly Preston said: “Throughout the year we have been developing detailed financial plans for all services.

“We’ve asked each department for efficiency savings, in order to balance the budget, while protecting services like schools, social care and a cleaner and greener Torfaen as much as possible.”

The council's draft 2020-21 budget was based around an assumption that the authority's Welsh Government settlement would increase by three per cent. Of this, two per cent would be invested into schools, while the remaining one per cent would be spread across the authority.

But, on Monday, the Welsh Government announced in its provisional local government financial settlement that Torfaen council would receive an increase of 4.5 per cent in 2020-21

Cllr Preston said: “Thanks to an improved Welsh Government budget settlement of 4.5 per cent, we will now have a chance to invest in key services, avoid cuts in areas that would damage services and communities and set services on a more sustainable footing.

“We can also now help our schools by proposing in this report that their financial pressures of £3.4 million will be met by the council.”

The leader of Torfaen council Cllr Anthony Hunt said: “I welcome the improved provisional budget settlement and the prioritisation of local government by the Welsh Government.

“It won’t make things easy, as the pressure on local services is still great after a decade of austerity, but it will make a real difference in our efforts to preserve critical services, such as schools and social care.

“We have carefully managed our budgets throughout 10 years of austerity, making efficiency savings year after year. But after a decade of deep and damaging cuts, councils across the country were rapidly reaching breaking point.

“I hope this settlement marks the start of a different journey, of reinvestment in our communities and the public services people rely on.”

The budget proposals will be put to the cabinet on Tuesday, January 7, before undergoing a scrutiny process and consultation period.

The final budget proposals and council tax arrangements are set to be approved by full council in March.