Cornwall Council set to vote on tax increases

FULL details have been revealed for how much residents in Cornwall could be paying in council tax for 2021/22.

Cornwall Council will meet next week to approve the authority’s budget for the next financial year.

Under the recommendation from the Cabinet, councillors will be asked to approve a 4.99% increase to the council’s share of council tax bills. This includes an increase of 1.99% and an extra 3% which will be used to fund adult social care.

If approved, Cornwall Council’s share of council tax for a Band D property would be £1,667.26. However, final council tax bills will also contain contributions for Devon and Cornwall Police, as well as town and parish councils.

The Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel have approved the Police and Crime Commissioner’s recommended increase of 6.73%, which equates to a Band D charge of £236.56.

Parish and town councils have also now approved their budgets for 2021/22 and the average increase is 3.39% which results in a Band D charge of £138.13.

However, while the average increase by town and parish councils is 3.39%, some parish councils have hiked their charges by as much as 67.93%.

Although that increase looks high, it has to be considered in relation to the low rates that some town and parish councils charge.

Here are the top ten biggest increases in council tax by town and parish councils for 2021/22 and the charges for a Band D property for 2020/21 and 2021/22:

Dobwalls Parish Council – 67.93%; £37.20; £62.47. Advent Parish Council – 64.84%; £7.85; £12.94. Roche Parish Council – 54.77%; £86.64; £134.09. Egloskerry Parish Council – 51.75%; £23.77; £36.07. Landulph Parish Council – 49.97%; £65.55; £98.47. Portreath Parish Council – 37.06%; £80.87; £110.84. St Minver Highlands Parish Council – 29.29%; £64.60; £83.52. Chacewater Parish Council – 28.84%; £56.79; £73.17. St Mabyn Parish Council – 27.02%; £94.95; £120.61. Botus Fleming Parish Council – 25.73%; £49.95; £62.80.

However, while these councils have all increased their budgets for the coming year, some have managed to cut the amount of council tax they want residents to pay.

Here are the top ten council tax bills in Cornwall for Band D properties in 2021/22: Falmouth Town Council – £2,274.99. Bodmin Town Council – £2,178.20. Truro City

Council – £2,171.38. Launceston Town Council – £2,160.84. Camelford Town Council – £2,158.20. Bude-Stratton Town Council – £2,144.87. Callington Town Council – £2,139.39. Newquay Town Council – £2,126.14. Wadebridge Town Council – £2,124.93. Saltash Town Council – £2,123.21.

The Council of the Isles of Scilly was due to meet yesterday to set its budget and council tax rates for 2021/22. Under the proposals, it will increase its council tax, like Cornwall Council, by 4.99%, including the 3% precept for adult social care. This means that the total bill for a Band D property on the Isles of Scilly, including charges for the council and the police, will be £1,630.84.

Cornwall Council will meet online on Tuesday next week at 10am, when councillors will be asked to approve the budget and set the new council tax rates.