Reduced increase to council tax in Manchester budget

Entering the second year of its three-year budget outline, Manchester City Council has pledged to have one of the lowest council tax bills in the country, lowering its original increase from 4.99 per cent to 3.49 per cent.

The lowered amount will be achieved by spreading a planned one-year increase to help fund adult social care across two years, enabled by a one-off rebate from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority for Mayoral functions that are currently being funded via the Mayoral precept, and increased business rate retention.

Alongside the council tax announcement, the budget also proposed £3.4 million extra funding for homelessness, to improve prevention work and offset the impact of government funding for temporary accommodation, and £3.7 million to keep streets clean, combat fly tipping and address other environmental issues. This will be funded through savings made in waste collection and disposal arrangements and the use of other existing resources.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of the council, said: “Ongoing reductions in government funding, which have hit places such as Manchester the hardest, and the impacts of austerity have put our budgets under pressure. But we are determined to keep delivering on our priorities, which we believe also reflect those of Manchester people – supporting those who need it the most and helping everyone to share in the growth and success of the city while making sure the bread-and-butter services, from roads to rubbish collections, are right."