TOWN councillors have voted unanimously to increase the precept by 4.5 per cent in a bid to meet "ambitious plans" for the town.

At a meeting of Penarth Town Council policy and finance committee on Thursday January 21, there was cross party support for the proposal.

This will constitute a 5p rise per week on Band D households meaning they will see a £2.60 increase annually.

The precept is collected by the Vale council via council tax and is spent by town and community councils.

During the committee meeting, the council set a draft budget for the 2016/2017 financial year of £758,561. The budget is an increase of £81,615, or 12.06 per cent, compared to the £676,946 budget last year.

But councillor Ian Courtney said the percentage increase was more like 5 per cent in relation to what the council actually spends, as opposed to the draft expenditure given the council underspent against its budget last year.

The net projected expenditure for 2015/2016 of £615,796 fell within the revised budget for the year of £706,832 and cllr Courtney doesn't see why they can't underspend against the budget again this coming financial year.

Cllr Courtney also congratulated the council on displaying the "perfect example of cross party work that puts the authority in a good light."

Leader of the council and chair of the policy and finance committee, cllr Mike Cuddy said: "We are an ambitious council. The budget increase represents about a £6-£10 increase annually in monetary terms which is small for a precept collecting authority. We want to preserve as many services as we can and that should be a possibility for a council like ours."

The Plymouth ward member, councillor Anthony Ernest, said the figures seemed fine but that the public will judge outcomes and not numbers.

St Augustine's ward member Gwyn Roberts said: "I don't want to see our ambitious plans for the town jeopardised. The budget needs to reflect these plans."

Councillor Philip Rapier, also of St Augustine's ward, was in favour of the proposal and praised the council for achieving a difficult "balancing act"

Meanwhile, councillor Neil Thomas, of the Cornerswell ward, praised the council for staying well within budget and said it "reflects well" on the council in a time of austerity while Plymouth ward member, councillor Martin Turner, said he hoped the budget laid out would help towards the long term goal of creating a "better Penarth."