THE Conservative leader of Northumberland County Council has defended his decision to raise council tax by the maximum level allowed.

Cllr Glen Sanderson pointed out that the council was investing heavily in projects up and down the county. The Tory leader also pointed out that similar rises would be implemented by councils across the UK during their budgets.

The formal budget documents, released ahead of the cabinet meeting, revealed that taxpayers would see their bills rise by 2.99 per cent in the new year. The adult social care precept would also increase by 2 per cent.

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Currently, the average annual cost of council tax for a Band D property in Northumberland is £1,721 with an adult social care precept charge of £264.30. Under the increases, this would increase to £1,772.46 and £269.28 – an overall rise of £56.54 a year.

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting (February 13) of the council’s cabinet, Cllr Sanderson reiterated his commitment not to cut frontline services and said that the council had attracted more investment to the county than ever before.

Defending the increase, he said: “Council tax will increase by the same amount as other councils, but it will be providing a lot of things. Over the last few years we have put aside small reserves of money to do those investments in the county.

“We’re not using general reserve funding. We’re using that money we have put to one side very carefully to be able to invest in our county in years to come.”

Cllr Sanderson gave examples such as the new schools in Amble and Seaton Valley as well as new leisure centres in Berwick and Morpeth, which have recently been completed. He also referenced the Northumberland Line, which is due to welcome passengers back to the rails in the south east of the county. 

Three of the stations will open in the summer, while the remaining three have been delayed until next year. Coun Wojciech Ploszaj, the council’s cabinet member for business, praised the council’s capital programme.

He said: “I would like to say how great a budget it is and how good the capital programme is. We are spending £30 million in Ashington bringing new life into the town centre.

“We are investing in Bedlington including £8 million on new cycling and walking infrastructure and £10s of millions in Blyth. We have completed the Hexham Heritage Action zone and connected Hexham to Corbridge with a cycle path.

“We have spent money in Berwick and we have secured £3.5 million for Cramlington. In my opinion it is a great capital programme and a great budget, and I fully support it.”

Opposition members do not officially attend the cabinet meetings. They will have an opportunity to scrutinise the council’s decisions at full council next week, where councillors will vote on whether to accept the budget.