Jibes of 'Ant and Dec' as council tax rise approved for Oldham at fractious meeting

Councillors have agreed to raise tax at a fractious meeting in which ‘reckless’ Tory amendments were slammed amid ‘Ant and Dec’ and ‘Sheriff of Nottingham’ jibes.

At the Oldham full council annual budget meeting on Wednesday night a majority of members voted to increase council tax by 3.99 per cent from April 1, of which two per cent is specifically ring-fenced to be spent on adult social care.

This will increase a Band A property’s annual bill by £47.65, while for a Band D property the annual tax bill will rise by £71.48, before Mayoral precepts and any parish council element are added on top.

Once Greater Manchester Mayoral precepts which cover police and fire services are included, a Band A bill will rise by £60.98 and Band D by £91.48.

The budget for 2023/24 also includes £16.3m of cuts and savings, to fill a nearly £30m budget shortfall – £12.9m of which will be met by using council reserves.

Moving the budget, cabinet member for finance and low carbon, Councillor Abdul Jabbar said that budget pressures had been rising, mainly due to issues beyond the council’s control and it was a ‘very challenging time’.

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“We are working to transform the borough so that Oldham thrives and prospers, while at the same time trying to provide support for Oldhamers who are struggling to make ends meet because of the cost of living crisis,” he said.

Coun Jabbar told the meeting that they looked at budget savings and efficiencies with minimal job losses – seven empty roles are to go from the authority.

He added: “If we could have avoided an increase in council tax then we would have done that. But as I have already mentioned the government expects us to