BLAENAU Gwent householders could face a 2.6 per cent increase in council tax, as the Valleys council outlines its financial plans for 2012/2013 for the first time.

Councillors belonging to a special joint scrutiny committee will hear on Friday howit was initially proposed to raise council tax by three per cent for the next financial year, but members working on the budget unanimously agreed to reduce this to an increase of 2.6 per cent instead.

The rise would be 0.6 per cent lower than the increase imposed last year – at 3.2 per cent – and the lowest increase set by the authority since Welsh councils were reorganised in 1996.

The authority is also proposing to make savings of £3.9 million in 2012/2013. If approved, both proposals will be put to the council’s executive committee on February 20.

A council tax increase of 2.6 per cent would see the average Band D council tax bill rise from £1,220.99 to £1,252.74 – an increase of 61p a week.

Blaenau Gwent is also proposing £3.9 million of cuts from its revenue budget – cash used to fund the council’s dayto- day operations – over the next financial year.

This will include job losses, although it is not yet clear exactly how many positions will go.

Savings are proposed across all council departments, including a £28,000 cut to the authority’s budget for mental health carers, a £50,000 saving through reduced staffing in the borough’s sports centres, including the loss of four posts and a swimming instructor, and an £18,000 saving by cutting the planning department’s out-of-hours service for dangerous structures.

Some £2,500 could be cut from the education department’s budget for special educational needs equipment, £76,414 could be saved through voluntary redundancies at the council-owned Ebbw Vale sign factory, Monwel Signs and Service, which employs more than 30 people with disabilities, and £169,640 in social services by increasing the amount of home care commissioned from the private sector.