00:00Council tax in Leeds will rise by 4.99% after council has approved the authority's budget
00:07for the 2026 to 2027 financial year. The increase includes a 2% precept to help fund
00:14adult social care. Leeds City Council says the package delivers £71.1 million in additional
00:22funding while requiring savings of £46.6 million next year. An extra £54.6 million has been
00:32committed for care services for people of all ages. Labour leader James Lewis said the council's
00:38financial position had improved compared with previous years and described planned spending
00:43on potholes and fly-tipping as fully funded frontline measures. Opposition groups tabled
00:4964 amendments during a five-hour debate but all were defeated. Liberal Democrat leader Stuart Galton
00:56called for greater transparency and proposed more funding for accessible parks. Conservative leader
01:03Alan Lamb criticised parking charges, saying they harmed town centres. Separately, the council has
01:10approved a contract worth just over £313,000 over three years for KIPU networks to upgrade firewall
01:18systems as existing technology reaches the end of its supported life. A council report warns that failing
01:24to replace the systems could increase the risk of cyber attacks and potential data breaches.
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