WIRRAL Council taxpayers will see a 1.67% increase in their bills from April – less than 50p a week for most people.

The Labour and Liberal Democrat-led administration voted through its budget over Conservative plans for no increase in tax rates at a meeting of the full council last night in Wallasey Town Hall.

Council leader Steve Foulkes said the current economic forecast meant he did not think “this is the year to go for zero”.

He accused the Conservatives of copying their budget plans for 2010-11 and then presenting an alternative which was “a hollow empty shell of a promise”.

But Conservative leader Jeff Green said the Tory budget proposal “offers a change of direction” from a “two-star council – even worse than Liverpool”.

He described the leaders of the Labour-Lib Dem alliance as “the Butch and Sundance Kid of Wirral politics”, to which Cllr Foulkes later retorted: “The cowboy outfit is on that side of the chamber.”

The tax rise will mean Band A to D properties – which include around 90% of Wirral homes – will see their bills rise in 2010-11 by between 31p and 46p a week, with the rise totalling 1.67%, compared with the 4.4% rise in bills last year.

Council tax for an average Band D home will rise £24.04 to £1,464.20, with Band As paying £976.14 and Band H properties seeing council tax rise to £2,928.40 when police and fire service contributions are included.