South Cambs District Council approves council tax rise
It's despite calls from local Conservatives to freeze bills
Last updated 28th Feb 2024
A council tax increase of around £5 a year has been agreed by South Cambridgeshire District Council, despite calls for a tax freeze.
The authority said it was setting its budget in “difficult circumstances” but said the district council’s financial position was “strong”.
The approved increase will mean a Band D household will pay £170.31 to the authority a year.
At a full council meeting this week (27/2) Councillor John Williams (Liberal Democrat), the lead cabinet member for finance, said: “This budget is set against a challenging background for us, we have rising population, increase costs due to inflation – inflation is still increasing at over four-per cent – and we have a national homelessness crisis, that crisis is affecting us.
“However, despite all of that the plans maintain the council as one of the lowest taxing authorities in the country, we are proposing a £5 increase for the year, which works out around 10p a week.
“We are able to do that and yet still have a number of important developments within the council in investing in our communities.”
Cllr Williams highlighted some of the budget proposals, including hiring two more environmental enforcement officers to tackle fly tipping in the area.
He said the authority was also increasing the budget to support more areas to be able to create neighbourhood plans, which help to guide future development, and said there will be continued support for the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Councillor Heather Williams, leader of the Conservative opposition group at the district council, said while there were things in the budget her group supported, there were things they believed should be changed.
One of changes the Conservative group wanted to see that she highlighted was a call for a council tax freeze.
Cllr Williams said: “For a lot of residents council tax is the highest bill after their rent or mortgage. We cannot resolve every issue at district level but we can show solidarity and play a part.
“We are proposing to freeze the council tax because we feel it is important to support everybody. A lot of people are struggling for the first time perhaps in their lives.
“It just rubs salt in the wounds to see council tax going up particularly when controversial things such as the four-day week are put into play.”
Cllr Williams said the Conservative group also wanted to see more planning enforcement officers hired, as well as additional environment enforcement officers.
She highlighted that even with the additional two enforcement officers proposed to be hired by the administration in the budget, the district will still only then have three officers tackling fly tipping.
Cllr Williams said the proposals could be funded from money currently being used within the district council’s transformation plans.
She said that some of the funding could also come from scraping the four-day week trial.
Councillor Bridget Smith (Liberal Democrat), leader of the district council, said the Conservative group’s suggestions were “irresponsible”.
She said: “It is not self funding, it would result in a reduction of services and a reduction in our ability to make realistic savings.”
Cllr Smith also highlighted that the district council offered a 100 per cent council tax discount for the people on the lowest incomes in the district.
The Conservative amendment to the budget failed to get enough support to be adopted into the main proposals.
The administration’s proposed budget, including the council tax increase, was ultimately approved by a majority of councillors.