The draft Trafford Labour Council Budget has been published. The proposals reveal that Labour is planning to increase Council Tax by 4.99%, which means the average Council Tax bill for a Band D property would go up to £1,682. This doesn't include the likely increases in the Greater Manchester Mayoral precepts, which added another £369.25 to a Band D bill last year. So, Band D Council Tax residents can expect a bill of around £2,100 for 2025/26.
Labour is also proposing a £45 annual charge for garden waste collection and is considering reviewing school crossing patrols to save £100,000 per year.
Nationally, just weeks after the General Election, the new Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a cut to the Winter Fuel Payment, which will reduce it by between £100 and £300. This money would usually have helped an estimated 36,147 pensioners in Trafford with their heating bills during the winter.
Jonathan Coupe, Chair of North Trafford Local Conservatives, commented on Trafford Labour’s draft Budget proposals: “Under the last Conservative administration, the average Band D Council Tax charge was £1,486, and Trafford had the lowest Council Tax rates in Greater Manchester. Now, Labour is proposing to push that bill up to over £2,100, which is an increase of over £600 since they took control of the council in 2018.
“Labour’s proposals to charge £45 to empty green bins is one thing, but considering axing lollipop men and women to save £100,000 is particularly shocking, especially when the Labour administration chose to give themselves an extra 42% in allowances or pay, costing approximately £200K per year from 2023.
“Labour has got their priorities wrong both nationally, such as through the cut to the Winter Fuel Payment, and locally, through these draft Budget proposals. The evidence is beginning to mount up that Labour are not on the side of North Trafford residents.”
