Council tax rise for South Hams is approved

A £5 rise in council tax has been agreed as part of budget plans for the South Hams that include cash to help ‘build back better’ from the Covid-19 pandemic.

At last Thursday’s South Hams District Council full council meeting, councillors unanimously voted for the proposed budget that put money aside for both services and key issues.

As part of the budget, councillors agreed to a small increase in council tax of £5 per year, meaning a Band D property would pay £175.42 this coming year to the district council for all of its services.

A further commitment of £200,000 has been put towards the council’s climate change and biodiversity goal to be carbonfree by 2030 and to work with the community to make the district net-zero by 2050, at the latest.

A further £500,000 will support the council’s recovery and renewal plans to help the community ‘build back better’ from the wide-ranging impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The council will also be lending its backing to local community and voluntary organisations through £10,000 of funding for the Community Volunteer Service (CVS), in recognition of the important work they carry out. Further allocated funding has been made available for the creation of four new seasonal posts within the localities team, for the busy spring and summer tourism season.