Hucknall council tax up another 2.6 per cent as Ashfield District Council raises its precept

The Local Government Association has recommended to all local councils that increasing council tax is good financial practice.

Already, Nottinghamshire County Council has announced a four per cent rise in council tax, while the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner has called for an increase that will see households paying a further £10 extra each year.

Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, at a meeting of its finance and resources committee on January 21, has recommended a 1.95 per cent rise for its precept.

Without this rise, papers for the meeting showed, the service faced a budget deficit of £4.9 million over the next four years.

This recommendation will be considered by the full fire authority at its meeting on February 25.

For more than 80 per cent of Ashfield residents, the district council’s precept will rise by an average of seven pence per week for those that pay full council tax.

The council recently underwent a voluntary financial health check which stated that the its finances were being managed effectively.

Despite this, ongoing cuts in funding means that to ensure council services can continue to be delivered to the high levels expected by residents, council tax will need to increase.

Coun David Martin (Ash Ind), cabinet member for finance, revenues and benefits said “Throughout the pandemic we have continued to deliver all our services, including being the only council in Nottinghamshire to deliver all waste services.

"We know how important our services are to our communities and this year’s council tax increase will ensure that we are able to continue to deliver all our services to the highest possible standard.”

The district council’s precept makes up just nine per cent of a Hucknall household’s council tax with 75 per cent going to Nottinghamshire County Council, 12 per cent to the police and four per cent to the fire service.

The rise to the average council tax payer in Hucknall will be £5 per year.

Coun Martin continued "The council continues to invest across the district.

"This year alone we have secured £70 million of funding from the Towns Fund and Future High Streets Fund and £550,000 in Safer Streets Funding.

"Our £22.5 million leisure transformation programme is well underway and we’re continuing to build more council homes.

"We know how hard it is for residents at the moment with energy, petrol and food costs rising.

"Raising council tax is not a decision we take lightly, but for us to continue to deliver all our services, not just the ones we are legally required to, it is necessary this year.

“The council delivers a huge number of discretionary services including parks and open spaces, markets and events, leisure facilities and community safety, all of which

we deliver because we know how important they are to residents, but they all require funding and the small increase in this year’s council tax will allow us to continue to

do that.”

For more details on council tax for 2022-23, click here.