COUNCILLORS have this week agreed the budget which could mean a two-year council tax freeze for residents in west Cheshire.

Homeowners living in the Cheshire West and Chester Council area – including Northwich and Winsford – will be in line to save some cash after councillors voted to rubber stamp the plans on Thursday, October 16.

It took more than two hours of heated political debate before the decision was made, with the financial plans for 2015/16 being passed with 39 votes for to 31 against, with one abstention.

When the council tax is set in February, nest year, it will mean that the average Band D property will have remained at a standstill for three years – with the potential of a fourth.

The budget was delivered four months earlier than usual on the basis of the success of a three year financial plan agreed last March and features an extra £2.3m in support for children in care; £ 2.4m for young adults with learning disabilities and £0.5m in welfare assistance through the continuing HELP scheme.

Tory Clr Eveleigh Moore Dutton, executive member for resources, said: “These are not just money investments they are investments in giving all our residents opportunities to earn and live lives of a higher quality.

“It gives certainty to our own staff who need to plan ahead, to our partners - especially those in the third sector who work with us - and comfort to our residents who pay their council tax and depend on our services.”

But Labour opposition resources spokesman Clr Ben Powell disagreed.

“It was the wrong budget, set at the wrong time with the wrong consultation process, the wrong scrutiny process and most of all the wrong priorities,” he said.

“If the administration want to play politics with public money and to make the council a hostage to fortune, count us out. They can do it on their own.

“However, I can confirm we would be looking to set a Budget for next year based around a Council Tax freeze this year. But we would be doing so in February.”

And Labour leader Clr Samantha Dixon voiced concerns over the ‘hasty’ timing of the budget setting without proper scrutiny – a ‘politically motivated and irresponsible stunt’ which exposed the council and its residents to unnecessary risk.

Risky unknowns included not knowing about the Governments grant settlement due in December; the Banks of England’s unknown decision on interest rates and the effects of global uncertainty on stock markets.

“This is the completely wrong time to be setting our budget," she said.

"The established timetable with a budget setting in February-March allows the council to make accurate assumptions for the year ahead.”

But Council Leader Clr Mike Jones retorted that this was the council’s seventh budget and the opposition had yet to provide an alternative, although they had produced ‘a few amendments’.

He stressed that work had started on the budget a soon as the last one had been agreed in March – it was not an ‘overnight job’.

“This budget is about investing in facilities, schools, theatre, sports centres, historic buildings and regeneration," he added.

“It’s about creating a great place to live, delivering a growth agenda with additional income to protect valuable services and creating employment.”