Cornwall Council has approved a budget and financial plan based on a council tax increase of 1.97%, a weekly increase of 51p a week for a Band D property, and a social care precept levy of 2% (52p a week).

The council’s leader John Pollard described the budget as a ’positive plan’.

He said it will protect front-line services from the impact of further cuts in Government funding, provide an additional £11m for supporting vulnerable people and invest almost £700m in providing hundreds of new affordable homes for local people, improving transport links, and creating jobs by growing the local economy.

The budget and business plan was approved by 65 votes to 32 at yesterday’s meeting of the full Council.

The final decision on the budget and the level of Council tax will be made by members at the full Council meeting in February 2017.

The Council needs to make savings of £107m over the next four years, said Cllr Pollard, as a result of ongoing reductions in Government funding and additional spending pressures. 

The social care precept levy will generate an additional £5.2m for adult social care, part of an extra £11m investment (9% increase) into Adult Social Care services this year.