COUNCILLORS approved Barnsley’s ‘best budget in 15 years’ and rubber-stamped a 4.9 per cent increase in council tax at a heated meeting yesterday.

The council tax increase is just shy of the five per cent gap that local authorities are permitted to raise it by without holding a referendum.

The increase is set to help address a £15.1m funding gap and ensure that essential services can continue amid rising costs and growing demand.

The proposed rise is made up of a two per cent increase to support adult social care and 2.9 per cent to maintain other vital services.

Leader of the council Sir Steve Houghton said it was the ‘best budget in 15 years, maybe even longer’.

He added that the council will spend an additional £34m on day-to-day running costs - while £1.5m will be spent on the council’s Great Childhood Ambition, £5m to pilot free bus fares for under 18s, £3.5m into neighbourhood services and a £12m investment into highways.

He said: “There are always difficult decisions that need to be made - it’s never easy.

“No one wants to see council tax go up - I have to pay it contrary to popular belief.

“It is without a doubt the best budget in 15 years, maybe even longer.”

Barnsley’s Liberal Democrat group submitted an amendment to yesterday’s budget, though this was shot down by opposition councillors.

Coun Hannah Kitching, leader of the Lib Dems in the town, said the amendment ‘simply asked councillors to invest more funding into Barnsley’s six area councils’.

In moving the amendment, Coun Kitching acknowledged the challenges facing local government finances following the Labour government’s increase in employer NI contributions, and congratulated the council in again bringing forward a balanced budget.

She said: “Residents are fed up of so much money being spent in Barnsley town centre while their own towns, villages and communities are left behind.

“Our area councils haven’t seen a single extra penny since they were set up in 2013, so inflation, the cost of living and the rising cost of services are taking their toll.

“It is great to see extra funding in the budget for community enhancement, but there are no assurances here that those monies will be equally and fairly distributed across the borough.

“The best way to do that is by committing extra funding - £50,000 per ward to all the area councils.

“Without our amendment, Barnsley Labour are free to pour the cash into their favoured areas, leaving other places with no investment yet again.”

However, Barnsley’s Labour councillors voted against the amendment.

Coun Higginbottom said that the funding for neighbourhood services would not be able to go ahead as planned should the amendment be approved.

He added: “Another year, another budget, another Lib Dem amendment.

“Members could be forgiven for experiencing a sense of déjà vu?

“This time, we have an amendment before us calling for the resources identified for community enhancement to be given directly to area councils.

“Let’s be frank, this amendment is not about funding area councils.

“It’s about the Lib Dems having something, anything, to say.

“Because they can’t abide to support our budget, whatever the protestations about ‘not wanting to undermine the budget as a whole’.

“Over the years, we’ve had Lib Dem amendments attacking trade unions; blowing contingency funding; and even coming here to buy a pothole machine.

“We can add today’s amendment to that growing list.”