13% tax rise due to 'cheat'

Even working on that figure, the council has still had to come up with certain cost-cutting measures including the closure of Sutton Library and the eventual phasing out of its domestic home care service.

The council is looking at transferring five old folks homes to the 'not for profit sector' as part of budget savings to help bridge a £6.7 million shortfall in Government grant.

This move alone could eventually save up to £500,000 a year with the aim to improve services to elderly people by attracting new investment into refurbishing homes from sources unavailable to the Council.

The little-used Sutton Library, which needs £50,000 worth of urgent repairs to keep it open, will also close and no new customers will be taken on by the domestic home care service (a basic cleaning service to residents) which will eventually be phased out as customers leave. Staff would reduce by natural wastage and it is envisaged that some customers would qualify for the Personal Care Service.

Elsewhere the budget for financial help for 16-19 year old students will be reduced by £21,722. But the council maintains that the service will be re-drawn to target families most in need. Transport for 16-18 year old students will also be targeted to just Special Needs youngsters and exceptionally needed cases.

Other savings include a rise in the Orange Badge scheme from £2 to £5 and charging voluntary groups for out of hours use of transport (£2.50 per person for a return trip).

Together, with use of £4.2 million of balances, the new measures will mean that most residents in St Helens will be paying £1.29 a week more for their Council Tax this year. Residents in Band A properties (the majority of homes in St Helens) will pay £585.40 a year. More than 10 per cent of the increase is due to a rise in Fire and Police Authority precepts levied on the council.

Says council leader, Dave Watts: "This is perhaps the most difficult budget I have had to set. But by imposing a mix of savings we have been able to maintain key services in education and social services and balance the books. Recently the council saved £2.5 million of costs and, but for this, we would have faced even tougher decisions than we have tonight." But, he said, residents were having to pay increased bills because of further Government underfunding.

Council Watts stressed that the council would continue to fight for more equality in the way the Government funds local authorities and that the battle to win a fair share of grant for the borough would go on. He said it was worth remembering that Westminster Council had received £90 million more in grant than St Helens which equated to a refund of £923 for every Council Tax payer in St Helens. Despite years of underfunding, Councillor Watts said the Authority would continue to strive to make improvements in services while seeking the most cost-effective ways of providing key services.

But the measures immediately came under fire from the opposition including Liberal Democrat councillors John Beirne and Brian Spencer.

Coun Beirne condemned the closure of Sutton Library as an outrage. He said: 'By closing Sutton Library, local people will lose a much loved vital facility, with children and OAPs especially losing out.'

He added: 'It's true that over the last five years usage of the library has dropped, but this is only because this council has cut the opening hours. New Street Library has closed and Marshalls Cross will be the only area of town without a library. No doubt Labour will blame the Government, but the fact remains it is the Labour Group who will close Sutton Library.'

Meanwhile Coun Spencer hit out at the plans for the elderly. He said: 'It is a disgrace that this decision should be taken without any consultation whatsoever with any of the affected parties including the residents, their relatives, the staff and the trade unions. The proposals themselves do not even make economic sense. No savings will be made for a number of years and it puts at risk the employees of the council as well as the welfare of the residents.'

The new Council Tax for 1997/98, from Bands A-H, is:

Bold - Valuation Band A (£592.08); B (£690.76); C (£789.44); D (£888.12); E (£1,085.48); F (£1,282.84); G (£1,480.20); H (£1,776.24).

Rainford - A (£592.64); B (£691.42); C (£790.19); D (£888.96); E (£1,086.50); F (£1,284.05); G (£1,481.60); H (£1,777.920).

Eccleston - A (£591.51); B (£690.09); C (£788.68); D (£887.26); E (£1,084.43); F (£1,281.59); G (£1,478.77); H (£1,774.52).

Windle - A (£592.05); B (£690.72); C (£789.40); D (£888.07); E (£1,085.42); F (£1,282.76); G (£1,480.12); H (£1,776.14).

Rainhill - A (£592.40); B (£691.14); C (£789.87); D (£888.60); E (£1,086. 06); F (£1,283.53); G (£1,481.00); H (£1,777.20).

Billinge - A (£592.40); B (£691.14); C (789.87); D (£888.60); E (£1,086.06); F (£1,283.53); G (£1,481.000); H (£1,777.20).

Seneley Green - A (£599.11); B (£698.96); C (£798.81); D (£898.66); E (£1,098.36); F (£1,298.06); G (£1,497.77); H (£1,797.32).

All other parts of the council's area -

A (£585.40); B (£682.97); C (£780.53); D (£878.10); E (£1,073.23); F (£1,268.36); G (£1,463.50); H (£1,756.20).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.