Town’s council tax is dearest in Greater Manchester

March 04, 2010

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Council tax bills will increase by almost four per cent - the biggest rise in Greater Manchester.

Rochdale Council agreed to raise taxes by 3.6 per cent last week, but this will rise to 3.96 per cent when police and fire service levies are added.

Band D householders will now face council tax bills of £1,482.88 a year, up from £1,426 last year.

The hike is the highest in Greater Manchester. Councillors in Salford and Manchester have previously signed off a zero per cent council tax increase.

Middleton township chair, Councillor Peter Williams, criticised the ruling Lib Dem party at the council for agreeing the tax rise while cutting front line services.

He said: "The Rochdale Lib Dems have set a budget which is one of the higher increases in the country. They have failed at time of great austerity for everybody else to look at the extravagant spend on media and communications and consultancy costs and their pet hobby horses. They have also closed two old peoples homes and Saxonside in particular.

"It is always difficult when not in control to present a full budget, but Labour set out to prove there were major savings to be made on these Lib Dem extravagancies, and that by redirecting funds the care homes could be kept open, and a major investment could be made in the state of our roads through a public works programme."

Middleton south councillor and conservative parliamentary candidate Mike Holly said the budget had 'let down' the people of Middleton.

He said: "This rise is more than double the average increase that the Local Government Association are expecting for the whole of England and will be one of the highest rises in council tax.

"What makes it worse is that the council received a generous three per cent increase in the Area Based Grant and it is against a background of cuts of Â£22m through efficiency savings. When other councils are trying to help their residents in these tough economic times the Liberal Democrats apparently can't control their budget. They really have let the people of Rochdale down."

Defending the rise, Lib Dem finance portfolio holder Councillor Greg Couzens said: "The level of increase is still the lowest in the last 15 years."

He said other local authorities were setting a lower council tax increase as an election stunt.

Council leader Councillor Irene Davidson said: "We do our best and I think this budget will help the people of Rochdale to get the services they expect and require."

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billywizz, king street middleton (05/03/2010 at 17:02)

dear guardian re council leader irene davidson comment regarding high council tax on thursday 4th of march i arrived home from work to be told by my wife that a hoodie had 30 minuetes earlier walked straight in to my home on seeing my 6 year old grandaughter sat down in the back room watching the tv turned around and fled he had three accomplices with him looking through our window i called the police immediatly after an hour had passed a lone female pc called around to see us i informed the police on the first instance that i had infact drove past three hoodies hanging around on my way home around the corner she herself had drove around as well but due to the time laps didnt see anyone when i asked her if we had infact any police in our own station in middleton. she replied there was only three police on duty in middleton and one of those was a trainee who himself needed supervision i am appauled and disgusted at your responce to the hike in our taxes and think it about time your council thought of the the towns around yourself whom you seem to forget about I probably am not alone in thinking all this money you rake in is used mainly in rochdale after all you distroyed a once beutiful town centre and left us with with a concrete jungle who everyone hates you and your fellow councillors should hang your head in shame you are no friend of middleton. billy resident of middleton

billywizz, king street middleton (05/03/2010 at 17:56)

I would like to had to my letter to irene davidson i also work for a local authority and my wages have stayed the same we havent had a rise in 2 years come april our bosses have, last year. dont forget the shop floor workers who pay your wages like rochdale council we are top heavy with admin staff and managers people dont realize its the staff who knock on tenants doors to do there repairs who bring in the money for all your nice dinners but nevermind ,, hey i,ll still have beef paste come next week on my sandwiches or is that butties

Peter Pan, Never Never Land (06/03/2010 at 14:59)

What an absolute joke Rochdale Councile has become They need get rid of the lot including the ludicrous "Impact partnership" This current council should hang its head in shame!!

cheapside resident, middleton (08/03/2010 at 17:56)

So once again the Rocdale mafia are fleecing those who still pay full council tax(now I believe a minority of households in the borough...Can you release the figures in percentage terms on FULL,not partial council tax paying households within the borough and on a town by town basis).
Every year it is a familiar story pay more for less and less in the way of services from the council.The army of bureaucrats continues to multiply,in Middleton we should all be receiving a rebate,not an increase in council tax.Aftre all we did not receive ANY services from the council for 6 weeks,during Dec. and Jan .no bins emptied,schools and offices closed,and roads and footpaths not cleared or gtitted.
Time we left RMBC and either went alone ,or do want the politicians should have done in 1974(and what the middleton people wanted),and go under the much better run and lower rated Oldham Council.

Rocking Vicar, Middleton (09/03/2010 at 16:26)

I wouldn't want to join Oldham Council, it would be like "out of the frying pan and into the fire". They had to make £19 million cuts recently didn't they?

Rochdale Council keeps dumping its rubbish on Middleton and what they have done with the town centre is a disgrace.

We should be in with Manchester.

Please could people read their mails and use punctuation when submitting comments? It makes it far easier to read.

Jackie Garnett-Allen, Royton (09/03/2010 at 17:36)

I live in Oldham and cant wait to get out. Oldham Council are the biggest wasters of money when it comes to Local Authorities. Our Council Tax has been the highest in Greater Manchester for years , ours is also going up again this year to cover for massive shortfalls in budgets where Cllrs cant add up. Dont think coming to Oldham will solve your problem , we're just a town full of immigrants and incompetent councillors.

cheapside resident, middleton (09/03/2010 at 19:56)

To Rocking vicar,pity that you may not be old enough to understand my point about the choice in 1974 for Middleton to join either Rochdale or Oldham council.There were no other choices,perhaps look it up and educate yourself on the history.

Whilst I would agree with your sentiments about Manchester other than postcode and telephone code, this has never been the case historically.

At least we agree on not wanting to be part of Rochdale,but hey look at the size of the cuts in this Borough,the level of council tax and the dreadful level of services that we receive.

cheapside resident, middleton (11/03/2010 at 20:23)

on punctuation,perhaps there was a problem with the Guardian website? I note that not only did I use puntuation in one of my comments when I entered it online......

But also other comments by other people from 5/3/2010 up to and including 8/3/2010 ,suffered similar problems.Coincidence,possibly,but I doubt it.

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