A COUNCIL tax hike for residents and millions of pounds worth of cuts have been voted through at a heated meeting of Oldham’s full council.

During the annual hearing in the Civic Centre on Wednesday night, budget amendments by the opposition Liberal Democrat group calling for cuts to the number of councillors and more investment in highways, were defeated.

However the Lib Dems agreed to back the 3.99 per cent rise in council tax, and the bulk of the planned savings although they said they did so "with a heavy heart".

With the extra mayoral precepts on top, the total bill for residents living in Band A homes will rise by £64, and £95 for "average" Band D residents.

And over the next two years, the authority has agreed to make £14.4 millon in cuts from its services, at the loss of 24 full-time staff roles.

Council leader Sean Fielding took aim at the impact of the government’s austerity policies in a blistering attack, which also criticised the Lib Dems for crying "crocodile tears" after their role in the 2010 Conservative coalition.

He told the chamber that cuts are still being inflicted on Oldham, despite having lost £208 million in nine years which makes it the sixth hardest hit authority.

“Our town too often would make league tables that we wish it didn’t around levels of child poverty, around levels of deprivation,” he said.

“How can it be then that we are also near the top of the league table for the deepest Conservative government cuts to local authorities?

“Theresa May said on the steps of Downing Street when she took office that she wanted to tackle the ‘burning injustices’ in society.

“Well I’d argue that there is no injustice more burning than the disparity between the cruel cuts handed by her government to northern authorities like us here in Oldham, and wealthy Tory shires which get looked after.”

He also lambasted the newly formed Independent Group, quoting Anna Soubry MP who he claimed had described Cameron-era austerity to be "marvellous".

“I challenge The Independent Group to come to Oldham and speak to those accessing our food bank, those in unfit housing or those children who go to school on an empty stomach and tell them to their faces that the decisions that have put them in that position are marvellous,” Cllr Fielding said.

“They’d better wear a suit of armour if they do.

“Nobody wants to pay more council tax, including the councillors here in the chamber who are all local council tax payers,” Cllr Fielding added.

“But if we are going to mitigate the impact of government cuts and invest in a brighter future for Oldham this is a decision that we cannot duck.”

Cllr Abdul Jabbar, deputy council leader, said that the removal of 24 full-time posts from the council would see no compulsory redundancies.

He also criticised the amendment proposals put forward by the Lib Dems, arguing that out of 12 "four of them are attacking our staff".

But shadow finance member for the Lib Dems, Cllr Chris Gloster, said: “Local authority funding is on a precipice.

“We recognise as responsible opposition that we must raise the maximum revenue we can, while making significant savings to our overall budget.

“We do this though with a heavy heart, because I know many of our poorer residents are really struggling and that they resent facing increased bills that they find hard to pay, and an increased council tax bill will be only one of them.

“But we’re forced to do this, not because we want to, but because we need to to offset the parsimony of the Conservative chancellor and to pay for the rising cost of services, in particular social care.”

Cllr Gloster told the chamber that their amendment was "modest but meaningful", and it identified more than £2 million of extra savings and new investment opportunities.

Among the proposals they were continuing to push for a one third reduction in the number of councillors, from 60 to 40.

They also wanted the council to look again at air travel costs, redesign the marketing team and cease publication of the borough life magazine and halting all staff conferences.

“There is no legal requirement to publish propaganda on the rates,” Cllr Gloster said.

And responding to criticisms that their proposals were an attack on council staff, Cllr Gloster said: “Justify to me how we pay £500 a year to staff to drive less than 100 miles – that’s £5 a mile.”

But the proposal to cut the ranks of councillors was branded "populist" by Labour Cllr Steven Bashforth, who said it would save just £1.20 per resident.

Lib Dem group leader Cllr Howard Sykes also outlined new spending proposals, including £5 million more investment into highways and footpaths.

He said they wanted to establish a dedicated ‘environmental taskforce’ to tackle dog fouling and flytipping, and crack down on the people who "spoil our streets and beauty spots".

Leader of the Tory group, Cllr John Hudson, spoke up to praise the Lib Dem amendment, and criticised the "mudslinging" of national politics in the chamber.

“I think people watching will have said – they might be small amounts but if they’re that small, why can’t we be big enough to take them on board,” he said.

“Because it talks about little things but it talks about things that people have sent me here for.

“There isn’t a lot we can do against governments of all persuasions. We’ve been fighting governments of all persuasions from this council chamber over many decades and I can tell you this – nowt will change.

“I would have liked the Labour party to have taken little things on board. It’s small fry and little money but that would have helped change people’s lives.”

The budget means more driving fines for residents if they weave into bus lanes, downgrades of public health programmes and increased burial costs.

After 2019, the borough will have to withdraw from competing in the North West in Bloom awards, which it has won "best city" at for the past nine years, after cutting £50,000 from its horticultural budget.

Community Transport Oldham, which provides a Dial a Ride service and hires mobility scooters says it may be forced to shut after the council scraps its £45,000 grant.

The 3.99 per cent council tax increase includes a two per cent increase in the adult social care precept.

Councillors voted to approve the budget for 2019/20.