Council fills £300m black hole in new plans

COTTON - CITY IS NO LONGER 'BANKRUPT' BUT COUNCIL TAX SET TO RISE

- ALEXANDER BROCK News Reporter

BIRMINGHAM'S latest budget plans have fiercely split opinion, with opposition councillors describing it as "smoke and mirrors".

The Labour-run council revealed its proposals for the next financial year's budget last week, announcing at the time that it was no longer 'bankrupt'.

Amid a huge financial black hole, the authority over the past couple of years approved an unprecedented wave of cuts to local services, hiked council tax and disposed of more than £250million worth of 'assets.

But with the £300m budget gap now reportedly closed and equal pay issues being tackled, council leader John Cotton has described the latest budget proposals as an "important milestone in our improvement journey".

"I think this is a really important moment for Birmingham, being able to shed the 'bankrupt Birmingham' tag," he said last week.

"What you won't get from me is complacency about the work that's still to be done but this is a really positive move for our city."