Falkirk accepts council tax freeze while plan to cut school week is 'paused'

Falkirk Council has accepted a council tax freeze in the hope that more cash will come from the Scottish Government after the UK’s spring budget.

The SNP administration said the freeze was vital to support people who are “just getting by” as they struggle with the cost of living.

But the budget also agreed to raise the charges for brown bin collections to £45 and increase parking charges. Fees and charges for burials and cremations will also rise by 30 per cent this year.

A proposal to change the school week by giving pupils a half day on Fridays was not included as part of the budget – although the administration say they will press on with consultations that could see it introduced next year.

The leader of Falkirk Council, SNP councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, said that it had, without doubt, been the most difficult budget she had ever faced.

But she said she was confident that freezing the council tax was “morally the right thing to do” to support people facing the cost of living crisis.

Falkirk Council leader Cecil Meiklejohn

The SNP budget will use £22 million of ‘service concessions’ to balance the books – money that has been made available by changes to how money for PFI schools is being paid back.

It will also cut £600,000 from social work, asking the service to look at ways to make savings.

The administration said they would not, however, accept cuts to police officers in schools and they will also keep the annual firework display in Callendar Park.

They also plan to ringfence £30 million of the money from service concessions to use for future projects, including the new Falkirk town hall, although they made clear this depended on the council becoming financially sustainable.

Members narrowly voted by 15 votes to 12 to reject a Labour proposal of an eight per cent rise, with some of the money pledged for borrowing that would fund road repairs, flooding work and IT for schools.

Labour group leader Anne Hannah said that the SNP budget was based on cash that is not yet certain.

She said: “Gambling in this way with the arrangements which deliver vital local services does not permit a Falkirk Council to deliver a competent budget.

“Additional funding is needed now – not some time, maybe in the future. This is basing a budget for essential public services on the hope of jam tomorrow.”

Conservative councillors were clearly torn between the options.

Councillor Sarah Patrick said she felt they were being “held to ransom” by the Scottish Government who could have given council’s additional funding while allowing them to make a modest council tax rise.

In the end, all four Conservative councillors backed the SNP budget, while the Independents were split.

Bo’ness councillor Ann Ritchie said she could not vote for a council tax rise but she also could not support the cuts being proposed so she abstained.

The budget actually contained very few cuts or savings but Cllr Meiklejohn said more would be suggested throughout the year.

The grave financial position that Falkirk Council continues to be in was once again spelled out by chief executive Kenneth Lawrie.

The council still has a gap between spending and income of £62 million in the next five years and today’s budget has done very little to change that.