Council tax to rise by five per cent after Peterborough City Council passes budget

Council leader Cllr John Holdich (holding the budget) with cabinet member for resources Cllr David Seaton

Councillors approved the budget last night (Wednesday, March 8) at the Town Hall, with the Conservatives, UKIP and Werrington First members voting it through.

Further budget measures include:

. A new Peterborough Lottery

. A £7.5 million regeneration of Millfield and New England

. Works to demolish Rhubarb Bridge and increase road capacity at Junction 18 of the A47/A15

. An increase for all-day parking in the Wirrina, Dickens Street and Pleasure Fair Meadow car parks to £4 per day. Some on-street and off-street parking charges will also increase, as will residential parking permits

. £600,000 of capital funding for all council employees to receive new Chromebook laptops

. A two-person litter hit squad

. The termination of the council's contract with Amey to deliver household waste and recycling collections, street cleaning, property design and grounds maintenance

. A 12 month trial for a private agency called Kingdom to be allowed to patrol Millfield and New England and fine anyone caught fly-tipping or spraying graffiti

. Funding for a café and spinning studio at the Regional Fitness & Swimming Centre in Bishop’s Road.

The approved measures are part of the second and final phase of budget proposals which will bridge the council’s £28 million deficit following large government cuts.

The average household in Peterborough will see an increase of £45.51 in council tax.

Of the five per cent council tax rise, three per cent has to be levied on adult social care.

The phase one budget proposals, agreed last December, saw council lawyers get a pay rise totalling £132,500 and £48,000 agreed to be spent on the re-instatement of winter attendants at Central Park and Itter Park.

A £186,000 pay rise for councillors - which was approved by the Conservatives at an earlier date - was also rubber-stamped, as was a £15 million investment to buy land and property in North Westgate to kickstart the much needed regeneration of the site.

Check back on the Peterborough Telegraph website later in the day for more budget coverage.