Middlesbrough Council has approved a budget that will see council tax rise by just under four per cent – but cuts to services have been scrapped.

In December, Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston presented his initial proposals for his first mayor’s budget.

While his plans might have kept increases to council tax as low as two per cent, the proposals came packaged with £4.5m of unpopular cuts to services including weekly bin collections and lollipop patrols.

The independent mayor faced a possible fight to get his budget passed by the council.

But an agreement between the independent mayor and his Labour opponents earlier this month made Wednesday night’s outcome more or less certain.

The problem was a simple matter of numbers – a majority of councillors are needed to pass the budget and for a while it wasn’t obvious where those votes might come from.

Since his election last year, the outspoken mayor had developed a somewhat frosty relationship with the Labour benches which, with 20 members, represents the largest single voting block in the council chamber.

On top of that, some members of council’s second largest group, Middlesbrough Independent Councillors Association (MICA), had also expressed dissatisfaction with the mayor’s plans.

In the meantime, parents at schools which risked losing their lollipop men and women had campaigned for the mayor to drop his planned cuts to the service.

Mr Preston had however promised to listen to the views of residents prompting a huge consultation which saw 1,157 people respond.

The mayor had also said he would be willing to take suggestions from councillors of any political group.

In February, a breakthrough was made when Middlesbrough Labour Group presented Mr Preston with an alternative budget.

Agreeing to Labour’s proposals meant dropping the unpopular cuts but, to make up the difference, residents will now face a 3.99 per cent council tax rise – about £33 extra per year for the average Band D household.

Mr Preston agreed and on February 18 his Executive approved the budget for a vote from the full council.

Introducing the budget to the full council on Wednesday, and thanking the members of the public who had took part in the consultation process, Mr Preston said: “We could talk about this stuff all night but we shouldn’t and do you know why we shouldn’t?

“Although it’s really, very, very important, it has been discussed, debated, agonised over in public and in private since before Christmas.”

He added: “Together all of us as a town have set a budget that I think we should say with confidence will be approved and worked on for the next 12 months.”

Labour group leader, Cllr Matthew Storey, said: “I’d like to say that the Labour group will be voting in favour of the budget tonight.

“We’re pleased that the mayor has entered into negotiations with us and agreed to our requests.

“And due to Labour’s negotiations some key services will be retained.

“Labour in Middlesbrough is essential to the budget process.

“If you want the job doing, you need Labour. If you want the budget, you need Labour. What Labour have done in this budget process is show mature political leadership.

“While I accept and understand that not everyone will support the budget, Labour are serious about delivering the best for local people.”

Anticipating those who may not vote to approve the budget, Cllr David Branson, Labour councillor for Coulby Newham, asked: “To those people who aren’t intending to vote for this budget, I would simply ask one question – what service do you want to cut?

“Because that is the only option you have.”

But Cllr Joan McTigue, independent councillor for Longlands and Beechwood, disagreed.

“I can’t vote for a four per cent increase in council tax and then ask people to vote for me knowing that I saddled them with more money,” she said.

Cllr Eric Polano, independent councillor for Acklam, agreed.

“Many of my constituents most of whom are pensioners have indicated to me that they do not want to see another rise in council tax – they can not afford it,” he said.

Conservative group leader, Cllr David Coupe, indicated that the Tories would approve the budget.

He said that while residents would rather council tax didn’t rise, they would prefer that to the loss of services.

MICA group leader, Cllr Jon Rathmell, said the council was “top heavy with management” and suggested that was where cuts could be made.

He added: “One thing that makes this whole budget unconscionable should we support it is the fact that only six months ago, many of the councillors in here supported giving themselves an increase in their basic allowance and now you want to support pushing people into further poverty.”

Middlesbrough Council voted to pass the budget by a margin of 35 to six.

The only councillors to vote against the budget were six members of Middlesbrough Independent Councillors Association (MICA) – Cllr Jon Rathmell, Cllr Brian Hubbard, Cllr Joan McTigue, Cllr Eric Polano, Cllr Mick Saunders and Cllr Graham Wilson.

As a result of the budget being passed, the scheduled council meeting on March 6 has been cancelled.