COUNCIL tax is set to rise across the board from April after councillors rubber-stamped this year’s budget plans.

Residents will see their tax rise by three percent - as much as £634 for the top tax band - following the fiery meeting yesterday afternoon.

It is expected to raise just over £7million for the city coffers, to be put into schools, roads, lighting and bins, among other areas.

Along with the council tax rise, £53m will be saved across a number of areas including social work, education, Glasgow Life, city property and Land and Environmental services.

The full extent of the cuts is yet to be finalised.

Labour’s budget, presented by city treasurer Philip Braat, was criticised by members of the SNP, Green party and the Conservatives but was eventually approved by 39 of the 72 voting councillors.

The SNP’s alternative spending plans received 29 votes, while the Green party’s plans received just four.

Treasurer and Labour councillor Philip Braat said his budget was “a massive investment in Glasgow and her people.”

He said the rise was to protect community facilities and services” and added: “I am proposing a council tax increase of three per cent.

This will raise little more than £7million. This will be put into safeguarding community services.

“No cuts to community groups, jobs and training, to free meals in schools.

“The rise in council tax has been done to save guard our frontline services.

“One year ago we met here in the aftermath of some of the most brutal cuts.

“The Scottish Government left us with £130 million to save which I took as a baptism of fire but it was simply a test of what was to come.

“The cuts handed down to this local council has risen to £136 million.

“This budget is a budget of three Cs and not the Cs known by the Scottish Government - cuts, cuts and more cuts.”

Councillor Braat said his proposals would protect “older citizens who have to choose between eating or heating” an said it was about investing in “cleansing, childcare and communities.”

The SNP and Green party budgets submitted as alternative plans to Labour’s included similar suggestions around investing in improvements to pavements and roads, lighting and cash for the Polmadie footbridge.

As a result, members of the three parties said they would like to see better transparency when it came to drafting future budgets, and added it would be easier to debate plans if they had earlier access to each party’s proposals.

Many councillors were only able to look at what their opposition parties had put forward just minutes before the meeting started.

In the SNP’s alternative budget, they suggested funding dozens more nurture classes in schools, generating income from touring the city’s most well-known artworks and putting up parking charges.

They also suggested making breakfast clubs in schools free for all pupils.

Leader of the opposition Susan Aitken said their proposals involved “preventative spend” while deputy leader David McDonald said: “We have had ten years of the same old lame excuses from the party opposite.

“Ten years where every passing election they have lost support and seats in every community across this city.

“The truth is the yes we are in a very difficult situation but the Scottish Government have delivered budgets which give a strong settlement for local governments.”

The Greens offered their alternative which had an emphasise on investing in the city’s transport system, including the introduction of electric buses.

Their version also looked to make investments in environmental services and produce 50 new “super enforcers” for littering and parking.

Cuts to Cordia were were also proposed to be reversed.

Councillor Martin Bartos said: “The cuts being made in the background are damaging to the vulnerable in the city and our proposal looks to reverse these.

“The people of Glasgow are crying out for cleaner air an it’s only the greens who are looking to do something about it.

“We want to introduce clean buses in the city to clean up the cities streets.”

Leader of the council Frank McAveety concluded the budget by saying “It’s been said that it isn’t our job to challenge the Scottish Government.

“But it’s not about challenging - it’s about getting a fair deal for the people of Glasgow.

“We can all say what we want about the budgets and criticise each other in this chamber but every person elected here wants to do their best for the people of Glasgow.

“I want to work in partnership with the UK Government and the Scottish Government.”