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, Cllr 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.

Although the 4.99 percent council tax rise follows a similar rise last year, Cllr Molyneux trumpeted 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’.

The leader of the council also announced a £1m apprenticeship fund and a further £1m community pot to link to the authority’s 50th anniversary celebrations, while Warrington firm Galliford Try was unveiled as the chosen contractor for the next stage of Wigan town centre’s multi-million-pound redevelopment promising further announcements in the coming weeks.

The town’s weekend free parking scheme is also being extended, he said.

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Disputes over council borrowing

The council meeting ended with rowdy interventions from the opposition Independent councillors, who slammed the raising of Wigan’s borrowing ceiling to £629m and demanded to know if it had an investment partner for the town centre redevelopment, and, if so, who it was.

Cllr Nazia Rehman, Wigan’s portfolio lead for finance, resources and transformation, hit back saying the town was ‘under borrowed’ at £400m saying: “It is a prudent approach and reflects our resilient financial management.”

She went on: “There’s no doubting the pressure on families has been immense. We are stumbling from crisis to crisis. 

“We’ve been forced to make significant reductions but we haven’t stopped providing any services.

“But we are under no illusions about what the council tax rise means to most of our householders.”

She added that although there were no investment partners yet, there were possibilities that could not be disclosed because of ‘commercial sensitivity’.

No cuts or job losses despite council tax rise

Earlier, Cllr Molyneux told the meeting: “Many councils have declared Section 114s [effective bankruptcy] regardless of their political persuasions, but not Wigan.

“We still have the lowest council tax in Greater Manchester and possibly the lowest of any other metropolitan authority in the country.”

He said the council had been forced to make £180m of savings since 2010 but thanks to ‘prudent financial management’ the controlling Labour group was presenting another balanced budget.

“Last year, we set a two-year savings target of £10m which we are on track to hit this year through efficiencies,” he continued.

“There are no cuts or job losses. I am sure many other councils across the country wish they were saying this in their [budget] meetings.”

Apprenticeships and funding boosts

He said that Wigan was ‘number one’ out of any town or city in the country for apprenticeships. 

Cllr Molyneux said the town’s Future Apprenticeships for Business (FAB) project will receive a £1m funding boost.

The FAB scheme provides funds for local businesses to employ their own apprentices, supporting 51 firms to take on 72 young people. The additional £1m will allow the public and private partnership to widen its reach.

Meanwhile, the £1m community fund builds on the previous Community Investment Fund – a key feature of previous Wigan council budgets – and will this year be linked to the programme to mark the 50th anniversary of the authority.

Council tax figures

What Wiganers will pay in council tax (includes GM Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner Precept, and GM Fire and Rescue)

Band A £1,281.75; Band B £1,495.37; Band C £1,709.01; Band D £1,922.64; Band E £2,349.88; Band F £2,777.17; Band G £3,204.39; Band H £3,845.28

Shevington  (includes Shevington Parish Precept)

Band A £1,299.53; Band B £1,516.12; Band C £1,732.72; Band D £1,949.32; Band E £2,382.48; Band F £2,815.67; Band G £3,248.85; Band H £3,898.64

Haigh (includes Haigh Parish Precept

Band A £1,300.99; Band B £1,517.81; Band C £1734.66; Band D £1,951.50; Band E £2,385.15; Band F £2,818.82; Band G £3,252.49; Band H £3,903.