'No cuts, no job losses' but council tax rises by 4.99pc
manchestereveningnews.co.ukWigan council leader David Molyneux attempted to soften the blow of a 4.99 per cent council rise for residents with a string of sweeteners as the authority set its budget for the year ahead last night (Wednesday February 6).
On the day Chancellor Jeremy Hunt reportedly failed to produce a ‘rabit out of the hat’ in his budget, Coun Molyneux produced his own by unveiling £2million of new schemes as the full council debated the revenue budget which will increase by 7.5pc with £271m spent during 2024/25 running the authority’s services.
Trumpeting the fact that Wigan will continue to charge the lowest council tax in Greater Manchester and ‘possibly the lowest of any other metropolitan authority in the country’ Coun Molyneaux announced a £1m apprenticeship fund and a further £1m community pot to link to the authority’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
He also unveiled Warrington firm Galliford Try as the chosen contractor for the next stage of Wigan town centre’s multi-million-pound redevelopment promising further announcements in the coming weeks.
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