Cardiff council tax to rise to plug £32m budget gap

Council tax in Cardiff will rise by 4.9% in April and is likely to rise by 4.5% in each of the next four years after a new budget was approved.

Schools and social services will receive a funding boost, but the cost of cremations, burials and rehoming dogs will all increase.

Chris Weaver from the ruling Labour group said it was "likely to be one of the lowest council tax rises in Wales".

Conservatives said the hike was "simply too high wherever in Cardiff you live".

The Welsh Government said it had offered councils "the best settlement possible" after nine years of austerity.

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Cardiff is the largest council in Wales and faces a £32.4m budget shortfall next year.

The rise will cost the Band D council taxpayer an extra £1.09 per week - about £56 per year.

The council is also planning £19m of savings across all departments, leading to 55 full-time job losses across the authority in street cleansing, waste management and libraries.

A total of £10m will be set aside for schools, while £5m has been allocated for social services, although the council still wants to save £6m in this area.

The council is also looking for a partner to run the New Theatre, which could save the authority £404,000 a year.