Final council tax bands for Blackpool revealed

Final figures have revealed Band D bills will be £1,756 in 2018/19 compared to £1,656 this year, once precepts for police and fire services are added on.

Bills for all bands will be - Band A, £1,170.70; Band B, £1,365.82; Band C, £1,560.93; Band D, £1,756.05; Band E, £2,146.28; Band F, £2,536.52; Band G, £2,926.75; and Band H, £3,512.10.

The council is proposing to increase its share of the council tax by 5.99 per cent, which includes a three per cent precept to pay for adult social care.

The precept to pay for policing has increased by 7.25 per cent, representing an extra £177.45 for a Band D property, while the precept to pay for the fire service has increased by 2.99 per cent, which is £67.46 for Band D.

Councillors are being recommended to agree the new council tax at a meeting of the full council next Wednesday.

They are also being asked to approve a revenue budget for the next financial year of £124.3m which includes savings of £5.5m.

Most councils around the country are increasing council tax by 5.99 per cent this year.

Blackpool Council leader Coun Simon Blackburn says the Government “is effectively forcing councils to raise tax whilst they simultaneously cut Government funding.”

Opposition group leader Coun Tony Williams has warned residents will also see higher charges for some services including “green waste bins, car parking, leisure services etc, and some council front line services could be scrapped altogether.”