COUNCIL tax should be frozen in Torbay, according to mayor Oliver's first budget.

But with the council facing some of the deepest cuts ever made, he has ruled out putting back in more than £200,000 to the area hit by the biggest cuts — the £4.3million proposed from adult social care.

Mayor Oliver is proposing a total budget of £123.6million, higher than the original spending targets but still the largest cuts ever faced by the authority.

Mayor Oliver said: "Due to the extremely challenging financial climate the council is facing, I have very limited scope for making changes to the original budget proposals."

The council had put £500,000 aside in case its Government grant was reduced, but the original figure was confirmed.

Residents and visitors services had earmarked £200,000 in case increased charges, such as for car parking, did not raise the required cash. But this will not be needed as the increases were brought in early.

The mayor is proposing to put £200,000 back into adult social care which would take the lion's share of funding with £42.8million budgeted, including £39.5million to Torbay Care Trust and a two per cent increase for care homes and £2.2m NHS funding. The mayor is also proposing using £500,000 for a contingency reserve.

The next biggest budget is £20.8million children's service including an extra £900,000 grant, but that is subject to confirmation of pupil numbers in July.

The mayor is proposing to accept a one-off £1.5million Government grant to pay for the council tax freeze amid warnings it could leave a £1.5million hole in the following year's budget.

In response to calls to reinstate some savings, he said because of the 'difficult financial position faced by the council'.

On top of the £123million budget and the £193,000 for Brixham Town Council is the £83,887 schools-related budget taking the total spent to £207.7million. Against that is £83million received from the schools grant, £58m Government grant and £1.5million council tax freeze grant, leaving £63.8million to be collected in council tax.

Brixham Town Council has agreed a budget of £193,074, an increase of £6,624 which is the equivalent of an extra £28.97 levy for Band D properties in the town.