Council tax rise of 3.99 per cent could be on the way in Mansfield

It is the maximum amount it can be raised by without holding a referendum.

The plan will now be debated – and is expected to be approved – by a meeting of the whole council on Thursday, February 27.

It will mean Band A properties will pay an additional £39.26 a year, while those in Band D homes will pay an additional £58.89.

Half of the increase – which has been proposed by the Conservative-led authority – will be ringfenced for social care.

However, Labour councillors warned that paying for social care with locally-raised taxes was ‘unsustainable’.

Conservative councillors voted in favour of the tax hike, the Ashfield Independent member voted against, and Labour abstained ahead of the full debate.

Speaking as the tax rise was preliminarily approved, opposition councillor Tom Hollis, who represents the Sutton West for the Ashfield Independents, said: “I find this disappointing, bearing in mind that we intend to considerably beef up our reserves this year, so we’re raising council tax and cutting services. They have chosen to close a Sure Start centre in my division to save £32,000 but at the same time we’re putting millions more into reserves in the same breath. So I find that extremely frustrating.”

Councillor Alan Rhodes is the leader of the Labour Group on the council, and represents Worksop North.

He said: “I understand, as the former leader of the council, the need to put the social precept up but I continue to question whether it’s correct that social care should be funded by local taxation in this way. I continue to be critical of the national government for the lack of a plan for social care despite Boris Johnson’s assurances on the day that he originally took office.”

Councillor Richard Jackson is the chairman of the committee which took the decision, and represents Toton, Chilwell and Attenborough for the Conservatives. He said: “We’re increasing the social care precept because we need to, but you’re quite right there needs to be a long-term funding solution that secures social care for the next decade and beyond, and I think that is now happening and there is that recognition.

“Brexit has got in the way of things and held up Parliament for too long but it’s out of the way now and we will see some progress in the next few months.”