A COUNCIL tax rise of 4.99 per cent has been rubber-stamped by town hall bosses.

Councillors tonight voted to approve the increase — two per cent of which will be used to pay for adult social care.

Bolton Council leader Cllr Linda Thomas said the Government was to blame for the rise, having ‘short-changed’ the town on children’s services and adult social care.

The ruling Labour group voted to introduce the maximum 2.99 per cent rise on the general council tax levy, to generate £1 million of extra funding to be ringfenced for children’s services.

Cllr Thomas said: “We have rejected the Tory government proposal for a six per cent rise, however we are acutely aware of local pressures. Council tax could have been as low as 1.99 per cent, if the Government hadn’t shortchanged Bolton’s children and adult social care services.

“The Government are passing on the responsibility to council tax payers of Bolton because of their unwillingness to fund councils correctly.”

Bolton’s Conservative councillors proposed a three per cent adult social care rise, but no rise on the general council tax levy. They suggest £5 million is taken out of the council’s reserves to cover the shortfall, as well as putting £1m into the highways budget and £1m for street cleaning.

Tory leader Cllr David Greenhalgh asked why Labour-run Wigan was willing to not increase its general council tax levy, when Bolton is increasing it by the maximum amount.

He said: “While the Labour Group tut and sigh in denial, it is important that they acknowledge that the Bolton Conservatives have allies in Labour Wigan, who are proposing the exact same increases as the Conservative Group here this evening.

“Wigan, a council with much lower council tax than Bolton, is proposing a 0 per cent increase to the general levy of council tax and three per cent to the adult social care precept. Their justification in doing so is to offer value for money for residents and support hard-working families.

“Residents of Bolton are not receiving value for money for the council tax they pay. We will not support going back to the residents for yet more money.”

Cllr Thomas hit back, saying that Tory-controlled Trafford Council would also be raising its council tax by 4.99 per cent.

In response to Labour claims that using more of the council's cash reserves would be irresponsible, Cllr Greenhalgh said: "We make no apologies for using reserves. In actual fact, just over three per cent of this council's reserves. We are not raiding them, and we are not putting this council or its residents under any undue risk."

UKIP’s alternative proposal, which was also voted down by Labour, was to support the two per cent rise for adult social care, but only raise the general levy by one per cent to pay for children’s services. Cllr Sean Hornby, Bolton UKIP leader, also proposed allocating £200,000 to tackling anti-social behaviour.

He said: “Year on year we have seen massive cuts across the council and year on year the council has had to make some difficult choices.

“Some of our basic services are very basic now, some of those services have to rely on volunteers.

“This council, I accept, must make difficult decisions, a choice between a street being cleaned daily to a child being kept safe from harm.”

After adding in further precept rises to pay for policing, the fire service, and Andy Burnham’s mayoral office, residents in Band A properties will pay an extra £60.06 next year.