A RAFT of cuts is to come into force after Wrexham Council’s controversial new budget was given the green light.

During a fiery full meeting at the Guildhall, a majority of members voted for the executive board’s proposals for 2018-19.

The authority is seeking to cut about £13 million from its budget over the next two financial years.

Members opted for the budget by a margin of 30-16, with Cllr R Alun Jenkins abstaining.

Council leader Cllr Mark Pritchard called it a “safe, secure and fair budget” for the people of Wrexham,

But Plaid member Cllr Carrie Harper opposed the budget, saying Wrexham had borne the brunt of austerity cuts for the last decade and it was no surprise that members faced unpalatable choices.

However, she said some cuts were unacceptable and would affect services, and lent her support to an alternative 2018-19 budget tabled by Labour.

Cllr Paul Pemberton was among those who supported the original proposals

“None of us wants to make cuts, it has been forced upon us and we must make hard choices now rather than putting them off,” he said.

Cllr Pritchard outlined increases to the education, housing and economy and adult and children’s services budgets.

But among the contentious measures are charges for disabled parking.

Also included are car parking charges in country parks and £100,000 slashed by cutting the number of park rangers and use the Streetscene service at country parks across the county borough.

The authority had been looking to chop its peripatetic school music service – to the tune of a £300,000 saving.

Now it is proposed to continue providing £50,000 in funding for the service on a means-tested basis, allowing children from families struggling financially to continue to access it.

The authority looks set to to halve the PCSO funding it provides to £140,000 between 2018 and 2020.

The alternative budget tabled by the Labour group leader Cllr Dana Davies was defeated, with 16 councillors in favour, 30 against and Cllr Jenkins again abstaining.

It included an extra £851,800 met by a reduction in executive board membership and minimum revenue provision saving. It also proposed a £70,447 music service uplift, a £500,000 secondary school budget increase and a £94,353 supported public transport fund among other measures.

The Labour group members also proposed to limit parks service cuts to £50,000, rather than £100,000.

They proposed to match £820,000 of the overspend from the council’s reserves.