What County Durham residents can expect to get from 3% rise in council tax

They also hailed spending in social care, which faces “enormous” cost pressures, and “cranking up” investment in renewable energy.

However a three per cent council tax rise is still proposed for the next year by Durham County Council.

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The latest “model” of its medium term financial plan (MTFP) also includes a potential three per cent increase in each of the following two years.

Final decisions have not yet been made on the next budget. Consultations are ongoing and it will be discussed and decided in a full council meeting next month.

Cllr Richard Bell, deputy council leader and cabinet member for finance, told the cabinet there had been major changes to the figures.

Cllr Richard Bell

These included spending an extra £3.4m on children’s social care, an extra £2m on waste disposal, £900,000 on community protection teams, £600,000 on free parking after 2pm, £360,000 on allotments, £250,000 on countryside, nature reserves and rights of way, £140,000 on pest control, £130,000 on street scene services, £120,000 on neighbourhood wardens and £100,000 on bin replacements.

Cllr Bell said: “These investments will produce visible and noticeable improvements in service delivery and reflects communities and this administration’s priorities.”

He said this was made possible by £28.4m extra government funding, but warned there were still “significant challenges”, “difficult choices” and funding uncertainties ahead.

He said savings of £30m were needed in the next few years, though this has reduced from a previous estimated £45m shortfall.

And the cost pressures of adult and children’s social care - by far the largest council budget - were “enormous”, totalling £19.5m next year.

Council leader Cllr Amanda Hopgood said there were “unavoidable budget pressures”.

Cllr Amanda Hopgood

“These updated proposals do however include some significant investment in key frontline services. Services that matter to local people and will make a real difference to people’s lives.”

She said the potential council tax rises were “well below what is possible” and people on low incomes had protection from the council tax reduction and top-up schemes.

Cllr Mark Wilkes, cabinet member for neighbourhood hoods and climate change, said he hoped to reverse previous failures: “How many times do we hear from residents that they don’t remember the last time the saw a road sweeper?

“This all helps reduce flooding and the resulting costs from all this muck being washed into our drains and get our streets looking cleaner.

“Residents shouldn’t have to live in areas where bins aren’t removed when left rotting with contaminated waste or where flytipping is rampant or litter louts aren’t fined and where rats run freely and streets are dirty.”

He said the low carbon team’s jobs were now secure and expanding with ambitious plans to tackle climate change: “We must crank up this council’s investment in renewable energy.”

Cllr Paul Sexton, cabinet member for adult and health services, said it was “only right that we prioritise investment” in social care services for vulnerable adults and children, and welcomed a 10% increase in domiciliary care.

Cllr James Rowlandson, cabinet member for resources, investment and assets, said the money would help employ more officers for vital allotments “after years of neglect” and for nature reserves and wildlife sites.

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