Trafford Council 'needs £20m emergency loan from Government'

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

55% : The perilous position follows last year's special dispensation from the Government to hit council tax payers with an "exceptional" 7.49 per cent hike in the fee in a bid to close the growing budget gap.
54% : Trafford is proposing to increase council tax for residents by 4.99 per cent from April - the highest amount typically allowed without a referendum - taking its share of the bill from £1,722 to £1,808 for a Band D property.
52% : Residents also pay council tax to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, so the final charge will be higher.
49% : But other areas increased council tax by modest amounts, keeping the income moving up alongside inflation.
44% : The council has a "structural deficit" due to council tax freezes between 2011 and 2015, when the Tories were in charge, he said.
43% : We would definitely be in S114 territory had we continued to freeze council tax.
41% : Even if the cash is given, it would be for 2026/27 only, so securing ongoing income through higher taxes and/or funding would be "imperative" to stave off future bankruptcy risk, council documents go on to warn.
39% : He said: "He's been against council tax increases for years and years.
38% : The area has one of the lowest council tax bills among comparable authorities after the previous Conservative administration froze the charge between 2011 and 2015, meaning the amount of money actually brought in is comparatively less.

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