A budget of £142m for day-to-day spending – which includes a request for council tax payers to pay 3.99 per cent more – will go before Swindon councillors.

But the proposals put forward by Coun Russell Holland, the council’s cabinet member for finance and deputy leader were criticised by opposition councillors and candidates.

Leader of the Labour group Jim Grant said: “Does the cabinet believe they are focusing enough on the social aspects of council work? Children’s services cost £7m, and there are 3,000 people in temporary accommodation costing this council £1m in payments to private landlords.

“There is a cut to disability transport when we are trying to help people get into into work - now they have no means to get there.

Against this we’ve spent thousands on a house building company which hasn’t built any houses, and have focussed too much time money and energy on the stalled Wichelstowe and New Eastern Villages projects together with a non-existent town centre regeneration, save the £15m spent on a car park.”

Coun Grant said more should be spent on cheaper housing for those on lower incomes and less on encouraging private developers to build luxury homes on estates on the edge of the town.

Cabinet members responded robustly.

Coun Gary Sumner said the Wichelstowe and Eastern Villages projects were not stalled, and said new houses in Wichelstowe would be available later this year and works is to start on the road linking the development to the M4, including a tunnel under the motorway.

And Coun Oliver Donachie said: "It is a fact that we have increased our spending on social care by 14 per cent over the last decade, nearly double the national average of 7.8 per cent. The idea we are not spending enough on the social aspects is just arithmetically incorrect.”

Coun Donachie was quizzed by Labour parliamentary candidate for South Swindon Sarah Church over the fate of the Coate Water splash park.

A suggestion to close it was withdrawn from the budget, and Ms Church pressed the cabinet member over whether it would open this summer.

Coun Donachie said: “That is the intention. But the pipes and pumps are subject to corrosion and weather pressure, so if the engineers say it is safe to do so, then yes. But it is an operational decision.”

The budget will be debated and voted on by the full council at its meeting on February 21.

If it is approved the borough council’s precept will be added to those of the police and the fire and rescue service, and of the parish councils in the borough.