Councillors will vote on Monmouthshire’s county budget today, which has filled a £2.86 million void in the authority’s books. Here is what councillors will be presented with.

Among the changes made by the Labour run body is a 7.8% rise in council tax, which was first set out in January, and a 10% increase in car parking fees. The council tax increase alone should raise an extra £5.9m, while increasing the cost of a 2-hour parking fee from £2 to £2.20 would generate an additional £180,000. It will also increase the fee charged for users of its ‘Grass routes’ bus service from the current one-off £5 per household to an annual £10 charge.

However, a proposed change to opening hours for hubs in four towns, including Abergavenny, has since been scrapped by the council which will see planned spending cuts reduced by £110,000.

Council leader, Mary Ann Brocklesby, has said the budget will help to improve local services.

“I am proud of the work done by cabinet and officers to reach this point, and our focus now turns to improving the valued local services we have here in Monmouthshire.”

Monmouthshire is also expected to be given an extra £4.8m in addition to its current Welsh Government grant as part of a nationwide ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’ scheme, targeted at waste management and recycling. However, it is anticipated that £2.6m of this will be transferred straight to a waste management reserve to meet the required improvements to waste services.

The budget also aims to boost funding for schools by £1 million and will utilise new borrowing powers to help find £2.3 million for improvements to highways, footpaths, rights of way and council buildings.

A council meeting has been agreed for Friday, March 7 in the event the council is unable to pass its budget.