Council tax bills on rise

Members of Lincolnshire County Council have backed a council tax increase of 4.95 per cent.

Meanwhile, the county’s police force is looking for a 5.8 per cent increase to its part of the bill.

And South Holland District Council is proposing a 3.03 per cent hike in its bill.

Council tax bills for the coming year, from April, are on the table across the county at the moment.

South Holland’s cabinet members are due to discuss its rise at a meeting on Tuesday and, if approved, it will go before a meeting of the full council on the last day of this month.

A meeting of Lincolnshire’s executive on Tuesday backed the county budget which also saw savings of £23m and using more than £14m of reserves held by the authority.

The proposals will have to go before full council, but equate to around a £58 per year increase on a Band D home in the county.

This will see a £1,231.47 bill from the county council.

The planned 4.95 per cent rise includes a general 2.95 percent which is just under the level that would have initiated a referendum.

The council has also been allowed to add a further 2 per cent to cover costs of adult social care in the county.

Meanwhile the police are set for a 5.8 per cent rise to an annual bill of £217.44.

South Holland is looking for a £4.99 annual rise on a Band D bill – taking it to £169.83 for the district.

“Like many councils, South Holland has been affected by public sector funding cuts, all-time-low returns on cash deposits and changes to the way councils are funded,” it says on its consultation document.

Final bills will also include special or parish precepts which have mostly yet to be revealed.

South Holland District has a black hole in its budget. There’s more here.