Headlines: £20m sea wall floodgates not closed in time, council tax set to rise

📈 Liverpool Council is to be recommended to increase council tax by almost 5% to meet its ongoing budget challenges. As part of its annual monetary planning, the local authority has set out its proposals for the next financial year, with a series of savings still to be made. The next 12 months mark the second of a three-year process to close a financial black hole of £85m. Full story on LiverpoolWorld

🌊 Wirral Council was not able to close the gates of its £20m West Kirby sea wall in time after receiving a flood alert, leaving water spilling out onto the road. The local authority said a high tide tidal surge at noon on February 12 was higher than initial forecasts, and as a result, "it was too late to close the majority of the flood gates" installed to seal gaps in the flood defence that ordinarily provide access to West Kirby's promenade when there is no risk of flooding.

🚉 Rail fares across the Merseyrail network are to be frozen despite an increase in ticket prices across the country. Utilising funding "clawed back" from Stadler, the region's new train manufacturer, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram is proposing to freeze fares for an initial six-month period. Full story on LiverpoolWorld