With Kirklees Council voting through the Labour group’s budget proposals last week, a 4.99% council tax hike will be in place from April.
The increase is the maximum amount allowed by the government and consists of a 2.99% council tax increase and an additional 2% going directly to services dealing with adult social care.
In the highest band, a £169.40 increase will be experienced, compared to a £56.46 increase for those in the lowest band. Below is a breakdown of how much each band will increase during the next financial year, excluding parishes, fire and police:
- Band A – Last year, those in Band A paid £1,131.61. This will be increasing by £56.46, bringing the total for 23/24 to £1,188.07.
- Band B – Last year, those in Band B paid £1,320.21. This will be increasing by £65.88, bringing the total for 23/24 to £1,386.09.
- Band C – Last year, those in Band C paid £1,508.81. This will be increasing by £75.29, bringing the total for 23/24 to £1,584.10.
- Band D – Last year, those in Band D paid £1,697.41. This will be increasing by £84.70, bringing the total for 23/24 to £1,782.11.
- Band E – Last year, those in Band E paid £2,074.61. This will be increasing by £103.52, bringing the total for 23/24 to £2,178.13.
- Band F – Last year, those in Band F paid £2,451.81. This will be increasing by £122.35, bringing the total for 23/24 to £2,574.16.
- Band G – Last year, those in Band G paid £2,829.02. This will be increasing by £141.16, bringing the total for 23/24 to £2,970.18.
- Band H – Last year, those in Band H paid £3,394.82. This will be increasing by £169.40, bringing the total for 23/24 to £3,564.22.
The council has adopted several other measures to address its £43m budget gap. These include making £19m worth of cuts across its services and plans to demolish, mothball and sell a number of council buildings to bring in some more cash.
The budget prioritises protecting services for older people, people with disabilities and children. The district’s 24 libraries will be maintained as well as a £6m allocation to Kirklees Active Leisure for the upkeep of its estate and to help fund the reopening of the Colne Valley Pool.
Despite making cuts in some areas, the local authority still plans on investing £191m in the local economy in the coming year. However, some of the council’s schemes, including the Cultural Heart, are being ‘re-phased,’ meaning that they could occur over a longer time frame than originally planned.
