Caerphilly County Borough councillors are set to make a decision on the cabinet’s budget plans for 2020/21.

The budget report will be considered by the cabinet on Wednesday, February 12 before going to full council on Thursday, February 20.

The report shows the cabinet’s plans to reduce the proposed council tax increase from 6.95% to 4.7%, after a better-than-expected settlement from the Welsh Government.

The 4.7% tax increase would see Caerphilly remain in the lowest quartile of council tax rates in Wales.

Plans would also see proposed cuts reduced from £8.5m to £3m, social care budgets protected, the planned reduction of CCTV cameras scrapped and proposed cuts to school crossing patrols axed.

There would be no increase to school meal prices, no reduction to the highway maintenance budget and cuts to the voluntary sector would be deferred.

The proposals also see an additional £13m going into school budgets, while half a million pounds would be set aside for environmental projects.

Council leader, Cllr Philippa Marsden, described the plans as a “budget shaped by the community” and said: “These budget proposals clearly demonstrate that we are investing in schools, protecting social care, maintaining our infrastructure, improving the local environment, investing in the community and, most importantly, listening to our residents.

“Whilst we welcome these revised proposals, we also recognise that there are still challenges ahead, so we will still make savings in advance wherever possible – particularly in areas that have no impact on the public or on frontline service delivery.”

However, the council’s Plaid Cymru group leader, Cllr Colin Mann, has called for the tax hike to be further reduced to 3.5% and said the council “could be bolder” with its proposals.

Cllr Mann said: “Cutting the council tax increase by another 1.2% would mean around £600,000 more having to be found.  We have identified areas within finance where this can be done, such as a temporary reduction in debt charges of £500,000.  This was originally proposed and has no impact on frontline services.

“Torfaen is already proposing an increase of under 4% while Rhondda Cynon Taf is going further and keeping the rise to under 3%. The Welsh Government loosened the purse strings and Caerphilly council should go further to reduce the burden on council taxpayers.”

Plaid group secretary, Cllr Teresa Parry, said: “For many people council tax is one of the top monthly bills they are faced with.  We should reduce the impact on them as much as we possibly can.”