Greater Manchester town's residents facing hike in council tax as councillors set to vote on proposal

Residents in Stockport are set to be hit with a council tax increase. The council is planning to lift the rate by 4.99 percent, adding £111 to yearly bills for band D equivalent homes – £9.33 per month, according to its budget report.

This is made up of a 2.99pc general council tax rise and a 2pc increase for the adult social care element of the bill. The total council tax increase for Stockport residents also consists of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s precept rises for fire and police services across the region.

Councillors will vote on the proposal next Thursday during a budget meeting in Stockport Town Hall.

Council leader Mark Hunter previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that despite the planned council tax rise, service cuts in Stockport can’t be ruled out. As part of the council’s plan to save money, it is looking at scrapping weekly green bin collections in place of a fortnightly service.

But Mr Hunter vowed to keep libraries and community centres open, and ruled out introducing charges for waste collection. If approved, the council tax increase will give the town hall an extra £10 million in income.

By 2027/28, Stockport council needs to save more than £40 million to balance the books – but it is not in a position where it will need to issue a section 114 notice for bankruptcy, like other councils in the country have had to do. A large chunk of Stockport’s budget is used up on social care spending, as the cost of providing these services has continued to grow.

At the crucial budget meeting next week, councillors will also vote on a new Stockport council plan until 2027 – defining the future vision of the borough for the coming years.

In a report about the council plan, Mr Hunter vowed to tackle the financial difficulties the council is facing.

He added: “Stockport is a great place to be right now. The borough is turning heads as it continues to be recognised regionally and nationally, from the feel-good capital of Greater Manchester, to being named in the Telegraph’s ‘Happiest place to retire’ and the Time’s ‘best place to buy your first home’ lists.

“However, we are not complacent, and we want and need to go further. We know that times continue to be hard for many people and that our borough is a place of inequality.

“We are seeing increased demand on our services; local people are being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and we face the ongoing challenge of climate change.

“Like many councils across the country, we also face significant financial challenge. This comes from ongoing reduced government funding, the rising costs of social care for vulnerable children and adults, and the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis. We are committed to tackling these challenges head on through our strong leadership and working without local communities and businesses.”