Forest of Dean council approves 3% tax increase

Forest of Dean residents will be asked to pay more tax towards the district council from April.

People living in band D properties will be forced to pay £199.83 a year towards the district council, up by 2.99% since last year.

The final bill residents pay will be much higher as it will include the £1,523.78 county council cost, the £295.05 per year which will go towards the police along with the parish council fees.

Forest of Dean District Council is responsible for services such as waste collection, planning, licensing, housing, parking and leisure with the county council delivering other services such as maintaining roads, adult social care, education, children’s services and public health.

Finance cabinet member Richard Leppington (Progressive Independents, Bream) said the budget allows the council to tackle some of the key issues that matter to residents of the Forest of Dean.

This budget has been agreed without having to draw on reserves, something that very few other councils have been able to do, he said.

“Over the past 10 years we have lost a great deal of our funding and we’re expecting to lose more funding from the Government in the coming years. When this is considered alongside the rising inflation and increased service costs, it is clear to see the financial pressures that we are facing as a district council.

“In order to continue to provide all the services we deliver for you while still delivering high quality services, we have been working hard to make savings and this year alone we are projected to save more than £340,000.

“We receive less than 9.44p from every £1 of the council Tax bill that you pay, with the majority going to the county council and other public organisations, however we are still able to deliver over 50 services for residents including waste collections, planning, supporting local communities and businesses, and much more.”

Councillors voted to approve the budget at the council meeting in Coleford last night (February 16) by 22 votes in favour, four abstentions and one against.

The Progressive Independents, Green group, Labour, Liberal Democrats, and all but one of the other Independents voted in favour.

The Conservatives abstained and Cllr Thom Forester (I, Mitcheldean, Ruardean and Drybrook) voted against.