Bolton Council has approved its budget for 2025-2027, with additional funding for some services and the target for cuts reduced overall.
Better-than-expected funding from the central government means that the council’s target for cuts, originally pegged at £8.2m, was revised down to £7.8m.
The improved financial position includes a Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant of £2.1m and a Recovery Grant of £9.2m.
The majority of the additional funding will help cover the rapidly rising costs of social care for adults.
More money will also go towards the cost of children’s social care.
The council also agreed a proposal to split £1m of “one off” funding between £75,000 to support third party community events, £200,000 on improving public rights of way, and £725,000 for improving radial main roads across the borough.
The extra money from central government means the council was able to revise some proposed cuts and find extra money for key services.
Among services that will receive additional investment are street cleaning and litter-picking, removal of waste and fly-tipping, free collections of bulky waste, grass cutting and cemetery maintenance, pest control and environmental health.
More money has also been found to support green groups and volunteer organisations.
Among proposals that were dropped are stopping filling grit bins, introducing parking charges at parks and district centres, and ending support for events in the town centre run by other organisations.
The changes mean that cuts of over £110,000 have been dropped entirely, while others have been reduced by more than £320,000.
Council members agreed plans to raise general council tax by 2.99%.
This is in addition to a 2% increase in the Adult Social Care Precept, which raises ringfenced funding for vital frontline services for the most vulnerable.
Under government rules, local authorities can raise council tax by 4.99% without the need for a referendum.
The changes work out to an extra £1.13 a week for Band A properties, which make up over 50% of Bolton’s total tax base.
A public consultation on the proposals ran from December 3 last year to January 6 this year and received almost 800 responses.
Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Nick Peel, said:
“The additional funding from the government is very welcome and has allowed our target for spending cuts to be revised down.
“The council has worked hard to strike a balance between delivering a prudent budget and protecting services for the long run.
“This is a positive outcome at a time when people need support from the council more than ever, and I am delighted to have been able to take some of the less popular options for cuts off the table.
“But in addition, this is the first budget in years that we have been able to direct extra cash at some of those frontline neighbourhood services.”
Changes to council tax in Bolton are in addition to any changes made by the Mayor of Greater Manchester.
For Band D properties, the 2025/26 Mayoral General Precept, which includes fire services, will increase by £16 (14.2%).
The Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner Precept will increase by £14 (5.5%).
Further consultation will be carried out as appropriate on individual cuts options as these are brought forward over the coming months.