Fury as ‘bankrupt’ Birmingham City Council waves by £300m cuts and tax hike

Angry protestors chanted “stop the cuts” as providers had been brutally slashed at cash-strapped Birmingham City Council.

Furious demonstrators voiced their horror as a 9.99% council tax hike and £300million of cuts had been waved by. Councillors heard folks within the metropolis face a “double whammy of higher taxes and fewer services”.

In two years time council tax payments can be 21% increased after one other sharp rise in 2025/26, whereas bin collections, faculty transport, youth golf equipment, libraries and street upkeep are among the many casualties. Meanwhile all arts funding can be axed by 2025.

It comes after the council declared itself successfully bankrupt in September final 12 months. Failure to cross the price range would have seen commissioners appointed by the Government take over the council.

Council chief John Cotton, Labour, apologised to the folks of Birmingham for the “unprecedented”. He stated: “It is not a budget I ever envisaged for our city. Sadly however, it is a budget that reflects the significant challenges currently facing this council.

“Because the cruel actuality is we should make cuts of over £300 million over the following two monetary years so as to obtain distinctive monetary assist from Government and to fulfill the problem set by commissioners.”

Tory Conservative group leader Robert Alden said leaders had “bankrupted the council” and said it would have a devastating impact on residents. He said: “They will see parks not maintained, streets not cleaned, dumped waste not enforced, damaged streetlights not repaired.”

Saying the council’s finances had been “smashed on the rocks” of a failed IT system roll-out, as the council ignored warnings about equal play claims, Mr Alden said: “For Brummies, the council is operating out of time to repair its funds earlier than all providers beloved by our metropolis are misplaced.”

The council, which has already paid out £1.1billion in equal pay claims, said in June that it owed a further £760million with the bill rising by up to £14million each month. The pay dispute was brought by women who worked at the council and received a basic salary without bonuses.

Men who received the same pay in jobs such as rubbish collectors and street cleaners did receive bonuses.