COUNCIL tax will rise by nearly seven per cent in Newport after city councillors approved final budget plans.

The 6.95 per cent hike equates to an increase of between £1 and £1.50 per week – although a proposed 7.95 per cent increase was reduced by one per cent following a public consultation.

Education and social care have been prioritised in the budget, with a £10.4-million investment in schools and £2.5-million to meet increasing social care demands.

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Council leader, Cllr Jane Mudd, said investments have been made to provide “much-needed help and support to some of the most disadvantaged in our society and into schools.”

She also stressed that the authority had listened to feedback from residents in a public consultation in setting the budget.

“We have listened,” she said at a full council meeting on Thursday.

“We have reduced our original council tax proposal – albeit not as much as we may like to – but we have listened, we have reduced it.”

But leader of the Conservative group, Cllr Matthew Evans, spoke out against “the largest [council tax] increase in Wales,” saying the authority also received the biggest increase in funding from the Welsh Government.

“The Conservative group cannot possibly support these proposals and the massive hike in council tax and I am not sure Newport residents will be able to stomach it either,” he said.

Newport Independent Party group leader, Cllr Kevin Whitehead, said he had ‘sympathy’ with the challenges facing the council.

But while he said there was “much to like about this budget”, he said the group would not support it, adding the authority needed to “look after the basics” such as tidying cemeteries first.

Independent councillor Allan Morris backed the proposals, and praised an investment of £100,000 into the city’s youth services.

“It’s the only game in town and there is no alternative put forward,” he said.

Deputy leader, Cllr Roger Jeavons, said the 6.95 per cent rise would still leave Newport with the third lowest council tax rates in Wales.

Investments to make the city centre more attractive and to help bring empty homes back into use are also included.

And previous proposed cuts, including to Barnardo’s and home to college transport, have been scrapped.

Councillor Stephen Marshall said it was the “best budget possible.”

“Because of listening, we can see a budget designed to improve the lives of many,” he said.

Conservative and Newport Independent Party councillors abstained on the vote, while Liberal Democrat Carmel Townsend voted against the proposals which were approved.