County council tax set to rise by 4.84%

Nottinghamshire County Council is set to increase its share of council tax bills by 4.84% from April, it has been announced.

The Conservative-run authority said it would increase the average bill for all households across the county by £1.43 a week.

Budget documents state the council continues to face a "challenging financial environment" due to inflation and increasing demand for services.

Cabinet member for finance, Richard Jackson, said the authority had tried to balance "services people rely on with the affordability of council tax".

"We've taken a view we don't want to tax the maximum we're allowed to. The government is really expecting councils like us to tax an increase of 5%, we've managed to keep below that," Jackson said.

"Crucially we've done that whilst maintaining our services."

The council said it had also been "adversely affected" by the increase in national insurance contributions for employers and a rise in the National Living Wage, announced at the Budget in October.

The council's budget report, published on Wednesday, forecasts a cumulative funding gap of £21.8m over the next four financial years.

The position has improved since October, however, at which point it predicted a £76m shortfall over three years.

Jackson said managing the deficit would be a "challenge" but he was confident the gap could be closed by improving efficiency rather than cutting services.

Leader of the Ashfield Independents, Jason Zadrozny, said he was "really disappointed" at the tax rise.

"It's no surprise, because Labour before them and the Conservatives now have always done things the easiest possible way," he said.

"For them that is dipping their hands in the pockets of residents across Nottinghamshire."

Labour group leader Kate Foale raised concerns over the projected budget gap.

"Even as they raise council tax on local residents, the Tories still come up millions of pounds short after a decade of chronic underfunding of councils by the Conservative government," she said.

The tax rise is made up of a 2.84% basic increase and a further 2% to pay for adult social care.

It will be discussed at a meeting of the authority's cabinet next week before being submitted to full council for approval.

Neighbouring Nottingham City Council announced plans to raise tax by 4.99% on Tuesday.

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