Council tax rise confirmed

It’s the news no-one looks forward to, but unfortunately council tax bills will go up in April for Stratford residents.

A Band D property owner will see their overall tax bill rise by just over £77 per year, after Warwickshire County Council, Stratford District Council, Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and local town and parish councils, all increased their share of the precept.

The overall annual tax bill for a Band D property owner is now £2,000.76, with Warwickshire County Council taking 76.6 per cent of this, the police and crime commissioner 12.6 per cent, Stratford District Council 7.5 per cent and the town and parish councils 3.3 per cent.

Speaking after Stratford District Council finalised its budget on Monday, leader Cllr Tony Jefferson, said: “The pandemic has had a devastating impact on our income as a Council and increased our costs as we dealt with it. Suffice to say that over the five years of our Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) the total effect is about £7.5 million. Despite this we have taken steps to ensure that we have produced a sustainable (MTFS). One of the key issues is that we have only received a government funding settlement for a single year for the third year running. This makes it difficult to plan with any certainty.

“We have raised our Council Tax by the maximum permitted, £5 on a Band D property. This brings the total Council Tax bill to £149.12 for a Band D property. This is 7.5% of the total council tax bill to residents.

“Although we have a long history of strong financial management, having been able to benefit from reserves, this year we are having to make difficult decisions with reductions in funding and rising costs. This year’s budget is not a growth budget as in previous years. The budget for the coming year ensures we are well placed to prepare for the District’s future as we work alongside our partners to respond to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.”