A COUNCIL tax increase of almost four per cent could face Oldham residents.

Under budget proposals for 2018/19, Oldham Council is looking at a 3.99 per cent increase in council tax, including a two per cent increase for adult social care spending.

The 3.99 per cent rise, when added to a further precept rise to pay for policing and Andy Burnham's mayoral office, will mean that residents in Band D properties will pay an extra £80.93 next year.

Oldham Council has proposed using more than £7 million of its reserves to balance the budget in 2018/19.

Last year, the Government announced that over a three-year period, local authorities could increase their council tax by up to six per cent to be used for social care.

The documents say: "Since the 2017/18 budget was set on March 1, 2017, a number of developments have meant it is necessary to adjust future years base budget estimates and revisit a number of expenditure pressure calculations.

"Bringing together all of the assumptions and information set out in the report, the

budget gap for 2018/19, presented to Council on March 1, 2017, at £20.755 million, has reduced

to £13.950 million.

"A national increase in demand for children’s services and the associated resource costs has resulted in a requirement to increase the budget gap for 2018/19."

Additional resources have been directed towards children's services, to the Early Help service, and special educational needs and disability (SEND) services across the borough.

In setting the proposed budget, provision has also been made for general inflation, the Coroner's service, due to an increase in pathologist and undertaker costs, an environment levy, and to allow for a reduction in the amount of New Homes Bonus Grant that the Council will receive in 2018/19 due to fewer than expected houses being built in 2017/18.

The report said: "This remains a challenging time for Local Government with uncertainty around the future funding for the sector."