SOUTH SOMERSET NEWS: Council nods through Council Tax increase

COUNCILLORS at South Somerset District Council last night (Thursday, February 25, 2016) agreed to increase the authority’s slice of the Council Tax by 1.95 per cent.

It equates to a £2.88 rise on a Band D household which is nearly 50 per cent less than the £5 cap per Band D allowed by the Government.

Council leader, Cllr Ric Pallister, ahead of the meeting, said: “Government is now expecting district councils to raise their Council Tax by at least 1.75 per cent and up to 2 per cent or £5 per annum after a number of years when the objective was to freeze it.”

And he added last night: “If we didn’t need it, we wouldn’t raise it. But we need it this year, although we still haven’t gone to the Government cap.”

A reduction in support grant from central Government, which has meant a cut of more than £1m for 2016-17 for SSDC, has resulted in a budget of £17.3m.

The debate at last night’s full council meeting at the authority’s Brympton Way headquarters in Yeovil was short as members voted in favour of the budget put forward by the council’s finance and legal services spokesman, Cllr Peter Seib.

The overall 2016-17 Council Tax bill – which will land through people’s letterboxes in April – sees Somerset County Council take the lion’s share with the district council, town/parish council, Avon and Somerset Police and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service receiving the remainder.

In addition to the budget rise, a further 1.25 per cent (£1.85 per Band D household) will be collected by the district council for the Somerset Rivers Authority to fund flood prevention work.

All Council Tax bills will vary depending on the precept set by the different town and parish councils in the district.

But to give people an idea – Band D households will receive bills of £1,616.40 in Chard; £1,620.27 in Crewkerne; £1,637.60 in Ilminster; £1,591.58 in Wincanton and £1,589.84 in Yeovil.

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