New Forest, Hampshire and BCP councils set their budgets for the coming year with increase in costs for residents

RESIDENTS across the New Forest and Christchurch will pay more in council tax after the major authorities upped their precepts.

Hampshire County Council, New Forest District Council and BCP Council have announced their budgets for the coming year, and all agreed to raise their share of the bill.

New Forest households will see a total rise of 5.16% – meaning a band D property will pay £2,090.56 from April for the 2022/23 period – an extra £102.57.

Following a meeting on Monday, NFDC voted through a 2.99% increase.

HCC agreed a 4.99% rise – taking an extra £69.39 from a band D household – and the police and crime commissioner for Hampshire raised its share by 6.34%, which equates to an extra £15.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has increased its council tax by 6.63%, taking an extra £5.

A motion for an alternative "fairer" budget submitted by the leader of the Lib Dems opposition group, Cllr Malcolm Wade, was outvoted by NFDC's Conservative administration.

Hampshire County Council’s recent annual budget debate centred around unprecedented financial pressures that could leave the council "unviable" in two years, its meeting heard last week.

The authority recommended increasing council tax by 4.99% each year to 2025/26 to tackle a budget gap amounting to £132m.

Conservative Councillor Rob Humby, leader of the council, said: "While this is below inflation, I do not underestimate the impact that this will have on household finances – but we have no choice."

The budget report stated that the council could not be financially sustainable beyond 2025/26 without a fundamental review coupled with multi-year funding certainty.

It added that it would be unlikely the council could make additional savings of more than £100m without affecting the its statutory functions.

The budget was attacked by opposition members, with leader of the Lib Dems Cllr Keith House taking aim at central government, claiming the UK had become "the sick nation of Europe".

He added: "The accountability for this budget sits with Hampshire’s Conservative MPs. They are the ones that vote year-in, year-out to cut local government in real terms; to fail to fund the NHS; to allow private water companies to keep dumping sewage into our rivers."

Labour group leader Cllr Alex Crawford added that the council was now in a worse position than this time last year.

BCP Council, which approved its new budget last Tuesday, said the costs of running council services had forced it to raise its council tax by 4.99%.

Occupants of band D properties in Christchurch will pay a total £1,683.23 from 1st April.

BCP's budget includes an extra £14.6m for children's services and £25.5m for adult services.

The council will put £1.9m into unearmarked reserves to build them up to 5% of net revenue expenditure and a new High Street Renewal Fund will be created.

Leader Cllr Philip Broadhead said the budget "heavily invests" in services to protect the most vulnerable in the region.

He added: "Where other councils are cutting libraries and leisure centres, we’re protecting core services and continuing successful programmes such as those that have helped reduce anti-social behaviour last year across our towns by around 20% compared to the previous year."

The increase was criticised by the opposition, with concerns over a 7% increase in rent to BCP Council tenants in addition to higher council tax.