The 2019/20 council tax and budget have been set.

Conwy County Borough Council (CCBC) members today agreed to approve a 9.6 per cent tax increase which will see the yearly payment for residents rise from £1,168.32 to £1280.48 - an increase of £112.16, equivalent to £2.16 extra per week.

Councillor Sam Rowlands, cabinet member for finance, said this had been "one of the most difficult budgets" this authority has ever had to balance.

Cllr Rowlands said: "The budget for 2019/20 has been one of the most difficult budgets this Authority has had to balance.

“There are pressures outside our control, such as increases in care costs, reductions in specific grants, along with increasing demand for services."

"This budget addresses the £15.3million resource shortfall and provides for our services by using a combination of budget cuts and a Council Tax rise."

Concerns had been raised across the county about a cuts to education funds. It was reported in the Pioneer Conwy’s schools were set to receive a funding cut of four per cent for the next financial year, which could equate to figures of more than £400,000 for some of the county’s 60 schools.

But cllr Rowlands said council had listened to concerns from schools and parents and they feel they have addressed the issue.

He said: "We’ve listened to the concerns of schools in relation to their budgets, that’s why today we agreed that any additional funding that we receive for pay pressures in schools would be passed straight through to them to support their budgets.”

Cllr Rowlands thanked councillors and staff for their work to tackle the challenges presented by the resource shortfall.

He added: “We’ve worked really hard to get to this point, now we’ve got 12 months to prepare for 2020/21 - that’s going to be the next big challenge for the whole authority.”