COUNCIL tax is set to rise by almost £50 in Swindon as councillors have decided to use the maximum increase available to them.

Local authorities can increase the tax by up to two per cent before having to call a referendum so council chiefs will recommend a 1.99 per cent rise when the budget is set late this month.

On top of that, central government has given them the power to raise it by a further two per cent to go towards covering adult social care, an option which will be taken up.

This means that for Band D properties, those on the mid-range, will see tax rise by £50 from April 1, assuming it is approved.

It will be the first council tax rise for five years but is coming at a time when many frontline services are being cut.

By 2020, the council must save £80 million and it is against this backdrop, along with rising demand for adult and children’s social care, that leader David Renard (Con, Haydon Wick) says the decision has been taken.

“We are seeing people living for longer with conditions that need care and support which is costly,” he said.

“On top of that more children are also needing support for a whole host of reasons.

“This is effectively were people’s taxes are now going. The Institute of Fiscal Studies says within a few years more than 90 per cent of our budget will go towards adult and social care.

“This leaves very little to spend on other services. Almost all top-tier authorities are bringing in these increases.

“We have a legal responsibility to submit a balanced budget each year.

“We need to make sure that whoever is in charge by 2020 is in a position to do that which is why we are making these decisions early.”

In previous years the government has provided a grant to local authorities which did not raise council tax.

The Labour Group has said it will support the rise but criticised the council for not introducing rises in previous years.

Leader, Councillor Jim Grant (Lab, Rodbourne Cheney), said: “This Council-Tax proposal together with the Conservatives’ proposals to introduce dramatic council-tax increases through new parish councils, shows that they no longer wish to be associated as the low council-tax party.

“In previous years the Conservatives had been very political in their council-tax decisions, choosing political advantage over greater revenue to protect the elderly and disabled, as well service to improve the tidiness of our neighbourhoods. Slogans like delivering more for less and efficiency savings have all been a nonsense.

“The Labour Group will be supporting the 3.9% council-tax increase. It is crucial for our local services and in order to protect the elderly and disabled that the Council has this additional revenue.”