Opposition bids to cut staff and bring back free swimming were defeated as Medway Council’s £496 million budget was approved.

The leading Labour group’s proposals went through largely unchanged despite three different amendments being proposed for the authority’s finances.

The annual budget-setting meeting last night heard how the council had successfully bid for £18.2 million in exceptional financial support (EFS) from the government.

This will provide it with the flexibility to borrow to cover day-to-day spending in order to make efficiencies.

Gun Wharf bosses also proposed raising revenue rather than cutting services to balance the books.

This includes a maximum increase to council tax without a referendum of 4.99%, as well as hikes in some leisure centre memberships and a 60p increase to on and off-street parking charges

The council tax rise equates to an increase of £1.68 per week for a Band D property, to a total of £1,842.32 per year, excluding charges from parish councils, the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner and Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

Labour made a change to its original budget proposals, limiting discounts to leisure centres to just staff and not councillors and allocating £50,000 for VE and VJ day celebrations this year.

The Conservative and Independent groups put forward amendments to make changes to the proposed budget.

The Conservatives’ amendment reduced the overall spend by £6.6 million by limiting the 5% staff pay increases to a 2.5% increase and removing the pay increase for the council’s chief executive, directors and assistant directors.

It also suggested the authority save £300,000 through cutting approximately 38 staff and £1.6 million by delaying the progression of Medway Council’s children’s services to attaining the “Outstanding” Ofsted rating.

By making these savings, the Tories claimed they could reduce the amount of EFS which the council needed to £11.9 million.

The group also said they would spend £343,000 on reintroducing free swimming for under-11s during term time, and providing 30 minutes of free parking in five council-run car parks.

The Medway Tories’ deputy leader, Cllr Gary Hackwell, said: “Our aim with this amendment is to reduce the reliance on government borrowing, while also giving help where help is needed.

“We are proposing a staff reduction of around 38 people, as the organisation is growing disproportionately to the service it provides.

“Since 2000, including this budget, the staff will have grown by 500 people - all directorates need to take a long, hard look at the requirement of all the people they employ.”

He added the 2.5% increase in pay - rather than the 5% proposed by Labour - was because staff had already received pay increases to match their skills and responsibilities, and the 2.5% increase matched inflation.

Additionally, he said the free parking in certain car parks was to encourage people to make short trips to local businesses - and he also criticised the repeated increases on charges.

He continued: “When lockdown started, it used to cost 20p to park for half an hour. It’s now going to cost £1.90. How can that be justified?

“I urge members to support this amendment, because we simply can’t afford this budget.”

However, Labour members dismissed the amendment as “fantasy” and said it showed why the Tories had lost control of the council in May 2023.

Deputy council leader Cllr Teresa Murray said: “This is a load of old rubbish. Your deputy has put forward a fantasy amendment.

“You’re going to reduce the staff by £300,000 but we don’t know where that’s coming from. You’re going to delay children’s services from reaching ‘Outstanding’, even if they’re doing well hold them back to save £1 million.

“I’m not supporting this and nobody with any sense will either.”

She added the reason staff needed a 5% increase was because their cost of living had risen as a result of Liz Truss had “crashed the economy” and increased mortgage rates.

Cllr Alex Paterson (Lab) said: “This is a perfect exposition of why the people of Medway should never again trust this lot to run the budget of Medway Council.

“Income generation as opposed to cuts to services is an approach I think residents will appreciate - asking people to pay a little bit more in things they choose to do to pay for services which no-one would choose to receive if they didn’t absolutely have to.

“Homelessness services, adult social care, support for children with special educational needs, help for victims of domestic violence. These are the things the hard decisions are protecting.”

The Conservatives’ amendment was defeated with 29 Labour councillors, five Independent Group councillors and two independents voting against, while 19 Tory and two Reform UK councillors voting for.

The Independent Group amendment sought to reintroduce free swimming for U16s and over 60s, free parking at country parks and fund the English and Dickens festivals, by removing £874,000 which had been planned for supporting the local government reorganisation and devolution plans.

Cllr Michael Pearce (IndGr) said: “This is not a budget rewrite, but a focusing on the priorities of the people of Medway.

“Medway is supposed to be a child-friendly city, but cuts to free swimming go against that - their reinstatement is a position which has a great deal of support among the public.”

Labour members voted down the amendment, saying the costs for devolution and local government reorganisation were necessary, and the free swimming cuts and others had been difficult decisions.

The Independent Group motion was defeated with 49 votes against - all of Labour and Tory members - and seven votes for - the Independent Group and Reform UK members.

The budget with the changes made by the Labour group was approved with 32 votes for - 29 from Labour, two from the suspended former-Labour members, and Independent Group councillor George Crozer - and 25 votes against.