Average council tax bills rise by up to £119

A TYPICAL council tax bill in the Frome Valley area will rise by between £98 and £119 in April. South Gloucestershire Council has agreed a 4.99% increasethe maximum allowed without calling a referendum - to 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 bill comes from the precepts charged by town and parish councils, and the 'special expenses' charges made for any maintenance of neighbourhood facilities such as parks, open spaces and bus shelters carried out by South Gloucestershire Council.

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

In the Frome Valley, Frampton Cotterell has the highest precept and special expenses charges, with the result that the overall Band D council tax bill in the parish - £2,260.77 - is higher than in surrounding parishes, as it includes £145.70 in precept charges and £13.81 in special expenses.

Overall, council tax bills for residents in Band D homes in Frampton Cotterell will be

£118.92 higher than last year. The precept has risen by £9.90 and special expenses by £1.55the other £107.47 is the increase in the other parts of the bill.

The other four parishes in the area - Winterbourne, Westerleigh & Coalpit Heath, Iron Acton and Rangeworthyhave decreased their precepts.

This usually happens when enough new homes are built in an area, adding extra tax payers, to negate an increase in the budget. Three of the four councils have increased their budgets but Rangeworthy has frozen its spending.

Overall Band D bills will rise by £103.64 in Winterbourne, £107.47 in Westerleigh & Coalpit Heath, £98.02 in Iron Acton and £106.39 in Rangeworthy.

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.

Funding for the Frampton End Farm nature reserve was also included in the budget.

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.

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."

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.

Band D council tax bills