OPPOSITION Labour Party members said the Tory-led Wyre Forest District Council will “live to regret” the budget it has set for the next three years.

Wyre Forest Labour group leader Nigel Knowles and his colleague Stephen Brown said there should have been more focus on housing priorities and helping local businesses develop in the financial strategy.

At a full council meeting on February 22, the budget – which included a freeze on council tax and initiatives aimed at supporting regeneration and creating jobs – was formally approved.

But Labour councillors refused to support it and abstained from the vote due to planned cuts in services and fears their concerns had not been addressed by the ruling group.

Councillor Knowles said: “Although there were some elements of merit, Labour could not support it, and so we abstained because of a lack of clarity and assurances on key elements and on the basis that a budget has to be set.

“If Labour were running the Council, our emphasis would be on better support for local housing priorities and helping local business develop. Sadly, these things do not seem to be Tory priorities and economically they will live to regret it.”

Mr Brown added: “Whilst there was a welcome Council Tax Freeze included, regrettably it came with a five per cent budget cut and price increases for many Council Services such as Car Parking Charges and some statutory items that we disagree with.”

And while they agreed with plans to borrow £35million, they said it should be used for more social housing and small scale industrial units to help Wyre Forest businesses.

But they said their main opposition to it was the slashing of £2million from services by 2020.

Mr Brown said: “Unless Wyre Forest District Council can generate more income for its services, and that is the rationale for our investment priorities, the Conservatives will inflict yet more cuts. We think local people have endured enough cuts.

“There is a different way to generate income for the district, but as ever, the Tories demonstrate contempt for anyone with alternative ideas because they always think they know best.”