Plaid Cymru today launched a county-wide election leaflet and warned residents that they faced a large hike in council tax bills if Labour won control of Caerphilly council.
The party will be contesting 56 of the 73 seats at the election.
Councillor Allan Pritchard, Plaid leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, said council tax bills had risen by an annual average of just 1.3% since the party won control of the authority in 2008.
“In contrast, the increases under the last Labour administration were more than three times higher. They were 4.8%, 4.9%, 4.9% and 3.5%, making an average of 4.5%.
“The simple message is that Plaid leaves more of your money in your pocket. While some individual charges have increased, you only pay them if you use the service. With council tax every household benefits by lower bills and the freeze for the last two years.
“I’d urge residents to judge us on our record. Do residents want to see their council tax bills shoot up under Labour – because that is what will happen? They have already opposed freezes in charges every time.”
Residents asked in a recent survey gave the Plaid-led council a satisfaction rating of 78% per cent, the highest ever.
Plaid’s pledges include:
- Building on the success of the training and apprentice scheme which has already created 162 places.
- A total of £92m will be spent on improving English and Welsh medium schools.
- Improving education standards in schools.
- Investing £172m in improving council homes.
- Improving recycling further – already the best in South Wales.
- £19m to go on highway improvements over four years.
- Regeneration continuing with new multiplex cinema in Bargoed
- New libraries to be opened in Caerphilly and Abercarn.
- Council tax increases kept to a minimum.
Councillor Pritchard added: “Residents should remember that this is a local election about who can deliver best for Caerphilly county borough. It is not an election to judge the performance of the Tory-led Westminster Government and, of course, very few Conservative candidates are standing for election here.
“We have proved over the past four years that given the tools, Plaid has and will deliver first class services for the residents of our county borough. After all we have achieved so much through improving the running of the council by sound business management despite financial cut-backs imposed by the UK and Cardiff governments. We would hate to see this council revert to the dinosauric Town Hall system that Labour so loved. We have taken Caerphilly county borough into the 21st century, so let’s continue to stride forward and not look back to the dark ages.”
