Monmouthshire 5.95% tax rise is backed

Residents of Monmouthshire will see a 5.95% increase in council tax from April, after county councillors agreed their budget.

The annual bill for a Band D property will go up by £74 to £1,316, plus police and community council charges.

The council is also looking to save £6.7m across all departments.

It is one of five authorities facing the biggest cut - 0.3% - in Welsh Government funding, which covers three-fifths of its £162m budget.

The Welsh Government said it had offered councils "the best settlement possible in this ninth year of austerity".

Parking fees will increase, prompting Lib Dem councillor Jez Becker to say a £1 charge for Sunday parking after a two-hour free stay could hamper efforts to revitalise high streets, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.