Plaid Cymru-led Caerphilly County Borough Council is aiming to freeze council tax for a SECOND YEAR running – whether or not the Welsh Government sets aside funds to do so in Wales.
The Welsh Government will get around £40m as its share of a decision announced by the Westminster Coalition Government to give English local authorities £805m to peg council tax.
Caerphilly council was the only Welsh authority to freeze council tax in the current financial year.
Councillor Allan Pritchard, Plaid leader of Caerphilly council, said: “”With hard-pressed families and individuals facing rising food, fuel and energy prices, we felt it was crucial not to burden them further.
“We froze charges this year, while maintaining quality frontline services to our residents, and our aim is to do the same whether or not the Welsh Government decide to allocate the additional funds to freeze council taxes to Welsh local authorities.
“The Caerphilly council cabinet wants the Welsh Government to confirm they will use the unexpected windfall from Westminster to peg the council tax increase for all of Wales next year, so everyone can have the same benefits as the people of Caerphilly.””
Councillor Pritchard added: ““We had Labour politicians earlier this year criticising Plaid in Caerphilly over its decision to freeze council tax. But we felt it right to provide help for families and individuals in these tough times – and we still do.”
“It appears to me that the forward thinking Plaid-led council of Caerphilly is blazing a trail that others might wish to follow. Much in the same way that we are doing by creating hundreds of training and apprenticeship places.”
