New Forest council tax payers facing £70 hike in Band D bills
NEW FOREST residents are facing an increase of more than £70 in their council tax bill from April.
The average Band D household will be charged a combined £1,765 in 2019/20 – an increase of more than 4.2% on the £1,694 total for 2018/19.
The final sum will be confirmed when New Forest District Council agrees its share of the levy tomorrow (Monday). The Conservative administration is proposing a nearly 3% rise from £168 to £173.
The biggest portion of the charge is from Tory-controlled Hampshire County Council which last week voted through a nearly 3% increase to hike its share to £1,237.
HCC leader Cllr Roy Perry said: “Despite continued pressures and growing demands on services, I am proud to say we are offering some of the best local services in the country.
“We are committed to protecting the services on which Hampshire residents depend – particularly those for the most vulnerable in our communities.
“This increase is much lower than last year’s and means that Hampshire continues to levy one of the lowest council tax precepts of any county council, nationally.”
The administration claimed residents’ council tax would remain one of the lowest in the country with the increase generating an additional £18m to protect services.
Cllr Perry, who also announced his intention to stand down as leader in May, added: “Continued long term, careful financial planning has allowed us to deliver low council tax for Hampshire residents.
“This prudent strategy, along with the county council’s scale and capacity, means that despite significant growing demand for services and rising inflation, we can continue to deliver high quality public services for the people of Hampshire.”
Government funding cuts mean HCC has sought to make spending reductions of £140m by April.
The Tories were attacked by Liberal Democrat Cllr David Harrison, who represents Marchwood and Totton. He said austerity had reached the stage where “enough is enough”.
He claimed the government had cut £7bn from adult social care across the country since 2010 and pointed to bus services being reduced due to subsidy cuts, and the closure of the Sure Start children’s centres.
“Cuts have consequences. What will be the consequences of not providing proper support to people who have spent nearly all their lives in a caring situation? I would rather resign my seat than support that kind of cut,” he said.
The rest of the tax total is made up of precepts from Hampshire Police, Hampshire Fire and Rescue, and town and parish councils.
The biggest rise is in the police precept which is rising 13.5% to £201 for a Band D household. Police and crime commissioner Michael Lane said that would help pay for 200 extra officers.
The fire service charge is going up by 3% to £68. The average increase for town and parish councils in the New Forest is 5.7% to nearly £86.
The final bill will be settled when NFDC gathers for its budget-setting meeting at 6.30pm on Monday at Appletree Court in Lyndhurst.
