Councillors to rule on proposals to increase council tax by 3.5%

CHARNWOOD Borough Council is proposing to raise its share of council tax by less than 9p a week for a Band D property.

The proposed increase would see the annual charge for the Charnwood element of an average Band D property rise by £4.61 (3.52 per cent) to £135.69 from April 1, 2022.

It is also looking at making £850,000 of savings, which would include losing the Shopmobility scheme in Loughborough.

It is also being proposed to increase the Loughborough Special Rate, the equivalent of a parish precept in villages and paid by residents of the town.

It is proposed to increase the Loughborough Special Rate by £1.55 (1.99 per cent) to £79.53 from April 1, 2022.

The council’s cabinet will consider the proposed budget plans on Thursday, February 10 with its recommendation due to go before full council on Monday, February 21.

The proposed final budget for 2021/22 is around £17.9 million. This includes making £850,000 of savings, generating extra income through fees and charges and using around £200,000 of reserves.

Councillor Tom Barkley, lead member for finance and property services, said: “We are proposing to increase the Charnwood element of council tax for 2022/23 by less than 9p a week.

“We do not make this proposal lightly.

“However, it is worth noting that the Charnwood element of council tax accounts for less than 10 per cent of your total bill.

“For that we provide scores of services, from bin collections and the maintenance of 600 acres of open spaces, to operating three leisure centres and a theatre and much more.

“We are working hard to minimise costs and have identified savings to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible. I am confident we offer value for money and deliver excellent services for residents.”

The proposed savings being considered by the council include amending the opening hours of the council’s reception and the telephone contact centre and not reintroducing the Shopmobility scheme in Loughborough.

There are also proposals to increase charges for the garden waste service and bulky waste collections.

In recent years, Charnwood has continued to have one of the lowest council tax charges in the country.

People on low incomes can apply for local council tax support. This gives up to an 85 per cent reduction on the whole council tax bill.

For more information on the proposals, read the cabinet report which can viewed via this link: www.bit.ly/ CBCtax2022

More details are on the Council website: www.charnwood.gov.uk/ budgetsummary

Proposed savings being considered include not reintroducing the Shopmobility scheme in Loughborough