Council Tax is set to rise and council staff are in line for a wage increase after Kirklees councillors set their budget this evening.

As the debate went on into the night Kirklees Councillors debated a mixed bag of spending plans and cuts which divided the 65 councillors at Huddersfield Town Hall’s council chamber at times.

Kirklees Council and Labour leader Clr David Sheard said: “The whole budget has been about visible services and there’s not been much debate around the biggest part of this council’s budget which is social care.

“The problem this council faces in social care is the problem the entire country faces, but if we don’t reform by 2022 Kirklees Council will do nothing else whatsoever apart from helping people needing social care.”

But Conservative leader Clr Robert Light branded a council tax rise as “morally reprehensible” when the authority was sitting on reserves.

Liberal Democrat leader Clr Nicola Turner urged the authority to retain the experienced staff to help communities as the council looks to the community and volunteers to take on so me council duties.

Kirklees deputy leader Clr Jean Calvert said the budget was not what she nor the population wanted them to deliver and the “cuts followed by cuts over the next few years” were thrust on them by government cuts.

Clr Julie Stewart-Turner, Newsome Green, spoke about the need for more money for town centres adding: “We need make our town centres more diverse and appealing.”

The Labour and Green budget passed with 37 councillors in favour, 16 against and nine abstaining.

Protestors rally against cuts at town hall — pictures

What the budget means:

The £69m budget cuts means around 1,000 council staff jobs will go over the next few years.

Council tax will rise by 1.95%. The police precept will rise 1.99% and the fire authority has not yet made its decision, so the overall bill may rise further. The Budget assumes a similar rise in 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Kirklees Music School: funding just short of £300k to be axed.

Police Community Support Officers: Cease contribution to police, saving £629k.

Streetscene: Review and reduce littering/dog control enforcements, dealing with stray/dangerous dogs, patrolling parks, maintaining minor public rights of way, saving £744,000 in 2016/17.

CCTV: Reduction of CCTV borough wide, saving £246k.

Museums and galleries: Group looking to avoid closures by shifting to commercial model. Budget cut identified for 2017/18 so decision will come at a later date.

Libraries: public consultation ongoing but commitment made to cut funding from 2016/17 onwards to give communities time to get involved in saving them.

Free transport for faith school pupils axed plus there will be a review and reduction in the Kirklees Active Leisure grant saving £1.4m over three years.

Cash for council-funded events such as Huddersfield’s Festival of Light and Spirit in Dewsbury has been axed. Funding will also be reduced to the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield.

Maintenance of parks and open spaces faces a funding cut; loss-making open markets in Batley and Birstall will close and the free town buses in Huddersfield and Dewsbury will end if no alternative funding is found.

Public Health services such as drugs and alcohol misuse and smoking cessation will also be cut.

All six ideas of the Green and Valley Independents were adopted by the Labour Party.

Those ideas will be added to the council’s budget and they are:

  • £150,000 of the Huddersfield and Dewsbury Town Centre Action Plan resources to set up two community shops. Clr Andrew Cooper said it would be in addition to the food banks and he hoped it would help low income households. The old Co-op on New Street was a possible venue for it.
  • £1.125 million from the ring-fenced Housing Revenue Account to ensure there are Passivhaus (energy efficient) standard homes.
  • Expand the activities of Building Services to cover work on private sector homes which will generate Kirklees £50,000 in 2016/17, £100,000 in 2017/18 and £150,000 in 2018/19.
  • Renewable energy plans for derelict public-owned land with £100,000 on a feasibility study. It could see solar panels fitted to school roofs and unused land used as a solar farm.

Plus two ideas all parties agreed to are:

  • To reduce mileage in line with HM Revenue and Customs rates saving £300,000 in 2015/16, £600,000 in 2016/17 and £600,000 in 2017/18.
  • To look at the electoral cycle and number of councillors.