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Average council tax bills rise by £130

from Thornbury Voice March 2023

from Thornbury Voice March 2023, page 39

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A TYPICAL council tax bill in the Thornbury area will rise by around £130 in April.

South Gloucestershire Council has agreed a 4.99% increase - the maximum allowed without calling a referendumto take its charge to residents with homes in the average Band D tax bracket up by £87.47 to £1,752.11.

Council tax bills also include charges for the region's police and fire services.

The Avon & Somerset police precept for Band D taxpayers is rising by £15 (just under 6%), from £251.20 to £266.20, and the Avon Fire Authority charge will rise by £5 (6.4%) in Band D, from £77.95 to £82.95.

The remainder of the charge comes from the precepts charged by town and parish councils, and the 'special expenses' charges made for any maintenance of neighbourhood parks, open spaces and bus shelters and similar neighbourhood facilities carried out by South Gloucestershire Council.

The parish precept and special expenses charge varies by area - the more local facilities provided, the higher it is.

Thornbury has the highest charges for both precept and special expenses, with the result that the overall council tax bill in the town - £2,277.36 for Band D residents - is higher than in surrounding parishes as it includes £156.22 in precept charges and £19.88 special expenses.

Thornbury also has the highest overall rise in council tax bills for residents in Band

D homes, of £130.95 from April. However the precept has only risen by £3.54 and special expenses by £2.96.

The lowest Band D charge in the area is for Hill - the £2,110.88 total bill includes a precept of just £9.62 to fund the parish meeting and no special expenses.

The smallest overall rise is in Almondsbury, where overall bills are up by £121.84.

South Gloucestershire Council's spending plans comprise £287 million for day-to-day services, £132m on major capital and infrastructure projects and £267m to schools, skills and early learning.

They include an extra £1m for road repairs, solar panels for all council buildings and funding for a new Street Enforcement Service to tackle environmental crimes.

Council leader Toby Savage said: "I am pleased that we are able to set a budget that builds on our hard work in previous years and which continues to deliver on our priorities for residents and businesses across South Gloucestershire."

The Conservative administration accepted ideas from opposition groups at the budget-setting meeting on February 15, with Labour securing a dedicated enforcement officer to ensure private rented homes are brought up to minimum standards and the Liberal Democrats winning backing for action on climate change and the cost-of-living crisis with initiatives to help residents and businesses cut emissions. Plans to increase green bin charges from £30 to £55 and cut the streetcare team and Chipping Sodbury taxi marshals were withdrawn ahead of the meeting.

But some council services are being reduced and charges increased, to plug a £24m shortfall and balance the books for the next three years.

Opposition councillors warned that many of the savings are “hidden” behind reviews that need working through rather than finalised proposals.

Capital schemes include £37 million for new primary and secondary schools in Lyde Green, £14m to improve the Castle and Marlwood CSET schools in Thornbury and £3m for more children’s homes.

Labour group leader Pat Rooney said the new enforcement officer would ensure that 5,700 houses and flats in South Gloucestershire which would fail new environmental regulations are brought up to standard.

She said: “We want residents to be healthy and happy, and being in a warm home is key to that.

“But it’s also about the environment and making sure homes aren’t producing any more carbon than they need to."

Lib Dem spokesperson for corporate resources Jon Lean said: "In a time of rising prices for all and even the increasing use of food banks, this budget removes support for some of the people most in need in our area – cuts to the preparingfor-adulthood service, cuts to the opening hours of One Stop Shops, cuts to well-being services that promote healthy lifestyles."