Cornwall Council votes in favour of maximum tax raise

Councillors voted 45 to 28 to set a net budget for 2024/25 of £769.577m

Cornwall Council has voted to raise council tax by 4.99%, the maximum amount allowable without a referendum.

The planned increase, the second such rise in two years, is facing criticism from opposition parties.

The increase was deemed necessary by the authority's Conservative-led administration to tackle demand on services such as children in care, school transport and emergency housing.

Councillors voted 45 to 28 to set a net budget for 2024/25 of £769.577m.

Increased demands on services were all running millions of pounds over budget, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Cornwall Council leader Linda Taylor said: "This budget has been particularly challenging and it's only going to get harder.

"We cannot afford to break strides to overcome fiscal challenges facing this council."

In England, councils with social care duties can raise council tax by up to 4.99% without triggering a referendum.