Tory group defends low council tax policy

A new report into the council’s finances found it is on the brink of effective bankruptcy

Former Conservative council leaders in Windsor and Maidenhead have defended their decision to cut council tax after warnings it left the Royal Borough at risk of bankruptcy.

A new report into the council’s finances found it is on the brink of effective bankruptcy and must take urgent action.

It concluded the reasons for this included decisions to cut council tax “significantly” since 2010.

But the Conservatives – now in opposition – said they kept council tax low “to support hard-working residents”.

They said they “maintained tighter financial control” and “avoided budget deficits” when they were in charge.

They accused the council’s current Liberal Democrat-led coalition of failing to control spending and delaying action.

Conservative group leader Maureen Hunt said: “Under Liberal Democrat control, fiscal discipline has collapsed, and it’s the residents who will pay the price with tax increases.

“The Liberal Democrats have pursued a strategy of delay and minimization of development of taxpayer-owned land. This is costing the taxpayer tens of millions of pounds.”

The Conservatives – now in opposition – said they kept council tax low “to support hard-working residents”

She said her group had “clear plans” to reduce the council’s debt based on money received from property development.

One of the most significant is a deal to sell the Maidenhead Golf Course to developer Cala Homes for a development of 1,500 homes, which could bring in £105.3m.

But the recent report, by public sector accounting group CIPFA, said the council is unlikely to receive £78.8m of this before 2030.

It criticises previous council tax cuts, as well as evidence of accounting errors by senior staff under the Conservatives' leadership.

The Conservatives said the accounting errors “must be fully investigated”.

The CIPFA report said: “Decisions dating back to 2010 to cut council tax significantly year on year for a period of six years – and then freeze if for a further two years – which has left the council’s baseline around £30m lower than if council tax increases had kept pace with average rises across the country.”

The Royal Borough’s cabinet will discuss the report on Wednesday.