ANGRY opposition members have compared ruling Tories ‘cash strapped’ budget to the Titanic.

Windsor and Maidenhead residents will see their bill rise by 1.99 per cent with a two per cent added precept for adult social care- set by government to help pay for local adult care- the total council tax band D property owners will face is £1,361.29.

The beneficial advantage card, where residents in the borough pay for car parking in the town centres at a discounted price, will be axed with second parking permits to be charged at £50 and £70.

Councillors argued these cuts are necessary as the growing pressures and increase costs of supporting vulnerable people in adult social care continue to rise with a projected pressure of over £2 million.

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The lead member for finance, councillor David Hilton, said the council will invest nearly £80 million into transforming the borough over the course of three years which will deliver homes and revitalise Windsor and Maidenhead.

Opposition councillor, Lynne Jones who is the leader of the independents, scolded cabinet members for braking numerous promises and taking money out of the council’s low-level of reserves.

The authority could face risk of bankruptcy by 2022 if ongoing savings of £15 million over a four-year period are not found.

She said: “You may try and make excuses that many councils are in the same situation due to the demand of adult and children social care, but that’s all it is- just an excuse.

“Yes, there is a demand, but unlike you many councils acknowledged this trend of demand some years ago.

“You chose to set budgets to win elections without a clear direction of travel and you chose to provide services on the never-never hoping to be bailed out by a significant capital cash receipt.”

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Defending the budget, councillor David Hilton emphasised the borough still has the lowest council tax outside London.

He said: “Unfortunately, the increase costs of adults, children and vulnerable people requiring social care has grown faster than the revenue that we had been able to gain from council tax and that is the thing that has put us into this position today.

“We are determined to continue to support vulnerable people.

“One of the ways we are going to do that is to take, of what might be unpopular, but necessary and certainly not unfair decisions.”