Birmingham City Council has permitted plans to hike council tax by 21% over the following two years.

More than 50 councillors additionally voted in favour of £300m in cuts over the identical interval.

The Unite union described the transfer as "devastating for Birmingham council's workers and the entire city".

It comes after the native authority effectively declared bankruptcy last year after being hit with an estimated £760m invoice to settle equal pay claims.

In September city corridor officers issued a piece 114 discover, confirming that each one new spending, except for defending susceptible folks and statutory companies, should cease instantly.

During a debate on the plans, council chief John Cotton apologised to residents for the "unprecedented" cuts.

Mr Cotton stated: "It is not a budget I ever envisaged for our city. Sadly, however, it is a budget that reflects the significant challenges currently facing this council.

"Because the cruel actuality is we should make cuts of over £300m over the following two monetary years so as to obtain distinctive monetary assist from authorities, and to satisfy the problem set by commissioners.

"As the report before us states, that is unprecedented in scale and, for that, I unreservedly apologise to the people and communities of our city."

The five-hour council assembly was informed the cuts had been wanted to safe £1.3 billion in distinctive monetary assist (EFS) loans from the federal government.

Following the vote on Tuesday night time, Unite's nationwide officer for native authorities Clare Keogh stated: "Vital public services are on the brink of being all but destroyed.

"This is the fruits of years and years of brutal price range reductions by central authorities.

"Birmingham council's workers, who have already suffered well over a decade of falling wages and whose efforts have ensured increasingly depleted services functioned, must not pay the price for a crisis they didn't create."

The Labour-run council is the most important native authority in Europe.

Fears over impression of cuts

The Gilgal ladies and youngsters's refuge in Birmingham is amongst these below menace from the cuts.

The centre, which is for victims of home abuse, receives 80% of its funding from the council.

Chief govt Sanja Kalik stated their contract with the authority is developing for renewal this yr and there are worries it's going to lose its funding.

She informed Sky News: "Our services are not cheap, but one day at a mental health institution costs between £1,000 to £2,000 per day, and we don't want them [the women] there. They've had years of rape and abuse. They deserve better."

Gilgal resident 'Sarah' got here to the refuge together with her younger baby after leaving her abusive companion.

Asked what would have occurred to her with out it, she stated: "I think I'd be dead, in all honesty.

"I used to be in denial, however coming right here it is helped me face the reality and I've learnt extra about myself and what I can do.

"The support is something that was really needed. [It's] a safe space where I can be myself and face the trauma that I went through."

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