New council tax bills revealed as ruling Labour group approves its budget for the next financial year

Council tax in Blackpool will rise by five per cent in April after councillors agreed the maximum increase despite warnings many people are already struggling to pay their bills.

It means the charge for an average band D property will increase to £2,277 for the financial year 2024/25, including precepts to pay for police and fire services, from the current level of £2,170.

The council's annual budget meeting also saw savings of £16m agreed, and the loss of 50 jobs through a recruitment freeze on vacant posts.

Council leader Coun Lynn Williams said high inflation, rising demand for social care, the cost of school transport and finding accommodation for homeless people were among the factors putting pressure on spending. She warned raising council tax was the only option to protect frontline services.

She said: "As a council, we are very much aware of the financial pressure everyone out there is under, and we have gone to great lengths through our Blackpool Together campaign to offer tangible support and help to mitigate the impact on households.

"The last thing we want to do is add to the pain and I really wish we did not need to increase council tax by the maximum allowed figure of five per cent, with two per cent of that ring-fenced to meet the escalating cost of adult social care.

"We have no other option than to apply this increase if we are to avoid slashing essential services for our most vulnerable. The vast majority of other English local authorities, 95 per cent, will also apply the maximum allowable council tax increase."

Coun Paul Galley, leader of the Conservative group, said residents would be "absolutely appalled" by the budget proposed by the ruling Labour group, and warned those on low wages would be worst hit by a rise in council tax.

He told the meeting if council tax continued to increase by five per cent each year, by 2027 even those households in some of the lowest bands would be paying more than £2,000. Coun Galley said "these are our poorest people, they cannot afford these increases", and warned more people may not be able to pay leaving the council with less money.

He unveiled an alternative budget and said measures such as better identification of council tax fraud could save £200,000, while boosting incentives for foster carers would cut spending on children's services.

A recorded vote saw Labour vote in favour of the budget with the Conservative group voting against.

Council tax bands 2024/25 (including precepts for police and fire service) Band A: £1,518; B £1,771; C £2,024; D £2,277; E £2,783; F £3,289; G £3,795; H £4,554.