People in Stockport said they're being hit in the pocket as charges for council tax and parking are going up this year.

The council has approved a council tax increase of 4.99 per cent, adding around £100 to bills for band D households.

Parking charges in the town centre are also going up. Fees will increase Monday to Friday from £1.10 to £1.50 for one hour, from £2.20 to £3.00 for two hours, and £3.30 to £4.50 for three hours.

Cheaper rates are available on Sundays for on-street and off-street parking, and these are also set to go up.

These changes were agreed as part of Stockport council's annual budget in February, with £75m of savings over the next five years.

Other changes from previous council plans include fees being brought in at several car parks around the borough which used to be free to use, and a controversial £59 annual fee for garden waste collections in green bins which came in last year.

Some residents have blasted the council over rising costs in the borough.

"I think it's ludicrous, what are we getting for our money?," asked 60-year-old Donna Amoros as she was heading home after work.

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Stockport resident Donna Amoros (Image - Declan Carey LDRS)

On Cheadle high street, Ms Amoros said people in Stockport are feeling the pinch from decisions made in the town hall.

She added: "The roads are in a terrible state, they don't do anything, we're paying more and more and getting less and less.

"We're absolutely being squeezed by the council, I don't have any sympathy for them.

"Nothing changes, things just get worse, it's a shame because they're running the little communities that we have. They're just fleecing us."

Stockport council, which is led by the Lib Dems, funds around 800 services across the borough, including adult social care and children's services.

Its spending plans this year include £2.6m for libraries, £6m on road maintenance, £3.8m on street lighting, and £4.4m to look after green spaces.

Bosses at the town hall painted a grim picture of the borough's financial situation at the budget meeting on February 25.

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Council leader Mark Roberts hit out at the government during the meeting, saying Stockport was not getting enough money from Westminster.

He told councillors: "Demand is rising, costs are rising, and Stockport has received a financial settlement that is simply not enough to meet the needs of our borough, but Stockport has never been a place that shies away from difficult decisions."

But the message of Stockport's increasingly worrying financial situation did not appear to land with some residents in the borough.

Liz Steel, 72, said: "I just think we pay enough for services that we are supposed to get. I do think we are being squeezed by the council here. We're paying for repairs to the roads and pavements, and some things just never seem to get done. I'm sorry but I don't have any sympathy for the council, we pay enough."

Stockport resident Liz Steel (Image - Declan Carey LDRS)

Others were more sympathetic to the council though, as 58-year-old Ryan Myers said he feels council tax has to go up to keep funding vital services.

He added: "I think council tax has to go up every year if we want what we need. You can always argue by how much, but just by natural inflation, otherwise it's devalued and you're going to get less each year, so it has to go up, it's just the extent that people argue over.

"You're conditioned to it now, another £10 a month, £9 a month. It is a lot of money but it's not a lot of money, so I think it's probably fair if I'm honest."

Responding to concerns from residents about council tax increases, Stockport council's deputy leader Jilly Julian, said: "Nobody enters politics to make difficult decisions, but we will not shy away from responsible financial management.

"The Labour Government have heralded 'more money' for councils, but this is simply by Labour assuming we will increase council tax and therefore giving us less to fund our services. They are trying to wipe their hands of the whole situation.

"Local government is facing huge financial pressures due to the increases in the cost of adult social care and children's services. The cost to provide the services for our most vulnerable for the next year totals £235m. In the last two years alone the increase in costs of statutory services including care for the elderly and at risk children has risen by nearly £20m.

"Government has made a deliberate political choice that these vital services are to be funded via council tax, rather than government funding."

A spokesperson for Stockport Council said: "The central challenge we face is Stockport receives lower levels of government funding than many similar councils, facing the same service challenges and cost pressures.

"This puts additional pressure on our finances and our ability to fund the cost of increasing need for services from our residents and businesses.

"Our funding increase is below both the metropolitan borough council and England average increases. If we were funded at those levels, we would have between £46m and £52m more to support local services.

"Despite this challenge, we continue to invest in everyday services such as highways, greenspaces, street lighting and libraries, while more than 75pc of our budget supports vulnerable residents through children's and adult social care and SEND services.

"Demand for these essential services continues to rise, and protecting them remains our priority.

"To maintain these services, council tax will increase by 4.99pc. We recognise the pressures residents are facing which is why we've also delivered over £8m in savings through efficiencies and digital advancements. Investment in projects like Marple Hub and regeneration schemes is funded separately and can't be redirected into day‑to‑day services."

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