‘Council tax rise is regrettable but we’ve little choice’

DISTRICTS AND BOROUGHS TO SEE AN INCREASE

ALL the councils across the county have approved their budgets, with Leicestershire County Council approving a 3 per cent increase – the highest amount possible without having to go to a referendum – on its share of council tax, with 40 votes in favour and 11 against.

This will mean a £42.18 jump in costs for Band D properties for the next financial year, working out at around 81p a week.

However, this is not the only factor in council tax rates across the county, with all the district and boroughs, bar one, increasing their own shares.

Hinckley and Bosworth councillors approved a £5 increase in their share of the tax next financial year, working out at around 10p a week.

This will bring their share of the tax to £144.87 for a Band D property.

The police and fire services both put up their tax precept as well, by £10 and £5 on a B and D property respectively.

Speaking at the county council budget meeting, lead member for resources, Councillor Lee Breckon, pictured, said the need to raise taxes was “regrettable”.

He said: “Resources are simply not keeping up with demand and cost increases.

“In children and family services… the number of social care placements continues to rise steeply. Adult social care… [has] an increaspopulation with increasing care needs and a growing number of people with learning difficulties.

“By 2041, we anticipate the number of over-80s in this county is set to double.

“It is always regrettable that we have to raise council tax, but in reality there is little choice in the matter.

Without these additional resources, essential services would suffer.”

Coun Breckon also revealed that, while the Conservative council’s budget is balanced this year, in the coming years the gap between funds and costs was expected to only increase.

The council needs to make £94 million of savings in the next four years, with £40 million still to be identified. “Unless service demand reduces or extra funding is found, the coming years will be very difficult,” Coun Breckon said.

“The level of savings required are not what any of us want to see, but it does allow us to allocate the maxiing mum level of resources to be directed at the services our residents value and depend on.”

Liberal Democrat leader of the opposition, Councillor Michael Mullaney, criticised the tax increase, saying: “We have a cost of living crisis at the moment.

“There has been a whole snowstorm of hits to people’s incomes through various charges, and taxes and cuts, and on top of that they’re going to be hit by a £42 increase in council Band D. Unfortunately, Leicestershire is consistently taken for granted by the government and our endless pleas for extra support and fair funding are unfortunately ignored, have been ignored and we can expect them to be ignored in the future as well.”

The following illustrates how council tax payments will change for households across the city and county in the forthcoming financial year.