Price hikes revealed as Southampton City Council sets budget
The cost of parking permits and garden waste collections will rise
Car parking permits, garden waste collections, careline services and entry to museums are just some of the increased charges residents in Southampton will face in the coming year.
Southampton City Council’s approved budget for 2024/25 includes a wide range of price hikes for discretionary services.
While many of the authority’s increased charges are in line with the consumer price index of 6.7 per cent as of September last year, other fees are going up by greater percentages.
The one-off installation charge for the council’s careline service will go up by four per cent (£25 to £26) but the ongoing provision of the service is rising by more than 10 per cent to £4.25 a week. The optional response service is increasing from £1.65 to £2 per week (21.2 per cent increase).
The majority of resident parking permits will cost 16.7 per cent more – increases of £30 to £35 and £60 to £70 depending on the zone. Areas where permits cost £100 will remain unchanged.
Off-street and on-street parking tickets, as well as season tickets, will not go up again at this stage after a new pricing structure was introduced late last year.
Allotment fees were increased by 13.3 per cent in November 2023 and will be reviewed again in-year for November 2024.
Annual garden waste subscriptions will cost between 14 per cent and 16 per cent more – between £55 and £88 depending on the size of the bin and payment method. Half-year fees for October 2024 to March 2025 are ramping up by between 66 per cent and 91 per cent to become much closer to the full-year prices.
Budget papers, which were presented to a council meeting last week (March 6), stated one off entry fees to Southampton’s SeaCity and Tudor House museums will increase by between 10 per cent and 19 per cent.
At SeaCity, which is a stone’s throw from the council’s Civic Centre headquarters, adult entry will increase to £11, and children five and over will be up to £8.50 – increases of £1. Family entry for two adults and up to three children is rising from £31 to £35, while senior and student entry is rising from £8.50 to £10.
Tudor House in Bugle Street will see the same price increase for adults (£6.50 to £7.50), children (£5.50 to £6.50) and families (£21 to £25), with concessions going up by just £1 to £7.
Joint venue entry as an adult will rise from £15 to £17, children £12 to £14, families from £46 to £53, and £13 to £15.50 for seniors and students.
Annual passes to both city centre sites are also increasing but not as significantly – adult £41 to £43.50, child £32 to £34, family £130 to £140, senior and student £36 to £38.50. Entry for under fives remains free of charge.
Hiring prices from libraries remain unchanged, with small increases to late return charges seeing the maximum fee for an overdue book rising by 25 pence.
The council budget, which is reliant on exceptional financial support from central government, includes a 4.99 per cent council tax hike, an increase of £86.22 for Band D homes.
Cllr Lorna Fielker, leader of the council, said the Labour administration always sought to be honest with residents about what is happening.
Speaking at the budget setting meeting, she said: “There is no doubt this is a very challenging budget for us. We know why we are here. We know where we need to go.
“But the budget has been set based on robustness. It has used different principles than we have done in the past.”
The Conservative opposition leader, Cllr Dan Fitzhenry, said there were huge risks for the council financially and the impact on residents included the council tax rise and other price increases which had already come into effect.
In relation to achieving the significant service transformation required to deliver the budget, Cllr Fitzhenry said: “This is a very deep place to be when you are looking at what the impact on people is and this is not the end, this is the beginning of a whole new journey that is going to be with this city for 20 years.”
The Labour administration’s budget was approved without the support of the Green Party and the Conservative Party.