Bromley Council agreed its budget for the next financial year following a marathon meeting before a packed audience, on Monday evening (February 23).

Hundreds gathered to watch councillors debate a 1.2 per cent rise in council tax and around £9m in cuts.

Support groups including Bromley Winter Night Shelter, The Pineapple Club, Bromley Mencap, The KeyRing Service and Kids and Crew will have some funding withdrawn.

Public toilets in Beckenham, Bromley and West Wickham will be replaced with facilities in businesses including Sainsbury’s, Café Nero and McDonalds saving the council £22,000.

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Residents protesting against Beckenham toilet closures

The council tax rise equates to around an extra 31 pence per week for a Band D property.

Bromley Council leader Councillor Stephen Carr said: "Local government is certainly undergoing the most unprecedented period of austerity and need for change.

"But what is being proposed will not have a dramatic impact this year on frontline services or for vulnerable residents."

Coun Carr said harder times are to come with the council having to consider closing day centres, reducing care packages and withdrawing support for young people and teenage mothers.

BYMT musicians performing outside the Civic Centre on Monday evening

The council's Labour leader Coun Angela Wilkins described the budget put forward by the council’s Tory-led executive as a "pilgrimage to privatisation".

She said: "We are not against privatisation but we are not convinced it equals better services.

"There are real people out there who will tell you different if you actually bothered to listen to them."

Bromley Youth Music Trust (BYMT) supporters were met with a victory of sorts when the council agreed to make £153,000 funding available to them for the next financial year.

Hoards of musicians performed outside the Civic Centre ahead of the meeting to support the trust.

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Supporters clad in BYMT t-shirts waved banners outside the meeting 

The executive had originally planned to withdraw £306,000 funding over the next two years.

The local authority also said it would support the trust’s Southborough Lane rent-free premises use until at least 2017 and would work with the trust to identify other funding.

Coun Carr said the council acknowledged BYMT’s musical track record as second to none in the UK but in light of financial challenges it had to consider all non-statutory spending.

He said: “We are confident that this joint solution will help BYMT remain a jewel in Bromley’s crown well into the future.”

BYMT principal, Ian Rowe said the trust were pleased with the agreement.

He said: “This gives us time to work together to seek alternative ways to boost our income so we can continue to enhance the musical talent of young people in the borough.”

Trumpet player and Hayes School pupil Katie Bacon, 13, who helped lead a campaign to protect the funding, said: "In the current situation, it’s the best we could have hoped for.

"I’m just glad we haven’t been cut to zero."