Council tax bills to rise by 3.95 per cent in Milton Keynes

Council tax is set to rise by 3.95 per cent this year - meaning an increase of up to £100 a year for the average family.

News of the rise comes as Milton Keynes Council publishes it draft budget, complete with cuts totalling £22 million.

Two per cent of the council tax rise will go directly towards funding adult social care throughout the borough, said council leader Pete Marland(Labour).

Generally the proposals amount to a “save the pennies” budget, with a series of small cuts across the spectrum.

They will affect everything from grass cutting and street cleaning to winter gritting and weed spraying.

Opposition councillors have already predicted the cuts will make standards decline throughout Milton Keynes.

Mr Marland said: “The stark reality is that there are no easy choices left to make. As much as we’d like to, we can’t afford to do everything we used to.

“We have increased our efficiency and realised savings in recent years but in order to continue to operate without our budget, we must now plan to cut services and generate more income.”

The council has been forced to save £111 million over the past six years. Yet it is now helping five times as many people who need temporary housing and managing triple the amount of adult safeguarding issues.

The draft budget will need to be approved by Cabinet on December 6 and will then go out to public consultation.