Cheshire East Council's financial plans are to go under the microscope this week, ahead of a series of crucial meetings.

The borough's corporate overview and scrutiny committee will review the proposals in CEC's medium-term financial strategy this week (Thursday, January 7), which went out to public consultation last month.

The review comes just before the council's cabinet is set to approve the fiscal blueprint early next month, which will then go to a full council meeting on February 17 for all councillors to accept it.

"Overview and scrutiny committees provide an important element of the council's governance arrangements," a pre-scrutiny meeting report to members said.

It added: "The medium-term financial strategy presents a set of key decisions for members each year, and it is important that members are provided with opportunities to review the proposals being consulted upon and the Scrutiny Committees fulfil a significant element of this requirement.

"To ensure that budget proposals are robust, it is appropriate to subject them to appropriate scrutiny throughout the consultation period."

Previously, it was understood that the CEC budget was working on the assumption that council tax will be raised by 1.99 per cent annually until 2025.

However, since cabinet last met to approve the consultation, Chancellor Rishi Sunak published the Spending Review 2020 — and the provisional local government financial settlement.

In those plans, it was revealed that councils would see an increase in spending power to 4.5 per cent — largely made up by new powers to add a three per cent precept for adult social care on to council tax.

CEC's corporate overview and scrutiny committee will meet online at 2pm on Thursday, January 7.