THE budget drawn up by BCP Council has passed its penultimate hurdle after being given unanimous approval by its cabinet on Wednesday.

Conservative councillors said the proposals would be “transformative” and that it would keep money in people’s pockets.

It will now go before the full council later this month where it is expected that opposition groups will challenge the budget by putting forward alternatives.

Unveiling his budget last month, council leader Drew Mellor said it allowed “significant” investment in services while also increasing council tax by a sum, he said, was one of the lowest in the country.

The council’s share of council tax bills are set to rise by an average of 1.55 per cent next year, with rates in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole being the same for the first since the formation of the council in 2019.

It would see the average Band D home charged £1,541.57 from April.

“Considering the huge pressures on our finances over the last year due to Covid-19, this is a significant achievement and is symbolic of our commitment to treat all those who live in the BCP area equitably, and to keep more of our residents’ hard-earned money in their pockets,” Cllr Mellor said.

The budget also includes a £50 million pandemic recovery fund and more than £10 million to improve education provision in the area.

But opposition councillors have accused the Conservative administration off “maxing out the credit card” and questioned why an optional ring-fenced social care precept was not being used.

Despite this, the draft budget received unanimous support when it went before the council’s cabinet on Wednesday.

Deputy leader, councillor Phil Broadhead, the cabinet member for regeneration, said it was “transformative” and would move the authority forward “just at the time we need it”.

Cllr Mellor also confirmed multi-million pound efforts to upgrade Pokesdown Station were continuing “at pace” after the issue was raised by councillor George Farquhar.

He said there was a “tiny concern” about what money might be available for Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership to contribute but that the project would fall under the aims of the pandemic recovery fund.

Following the unanimous backing of the cabinet for the budget, the proposals will now go before the full council on February 23 with a recommendation they be given final approval.

The Liberal Democrat group has confirmed it will put forward an alternative budget during the debate at the meeting.