A THIRD East Lancashire district local authority is set to increase it council tax by 1.99 per cent from April 1.
Hyndburn Borough’s Cabinet is this afternoon backed the rise which will add £5.01 a year to a Band D family home and £3.34 a year to the Band A terraced properties which make up the majority of its housing stock.
The proposal moved by financed boss Cllr Joyce Plummer needs to be approved by a Full Council meeting on February 25.
It would set the district’s annual council tax at £170.36 for a Band A property, £198.75 for a slightly large Band B one and £255.53 for a Band D home.
It follows Burnley and Pendle Council’s being recommended to set a similar 1.99 per cent increase.
The rises come on top of a proposed increase of 4.99 per cent from Lancashire County Council which provides key services and makes up the majority of Hyndburn’s council tax bills and a 7.1 per cent increase in the levy to pay for the police.
Hyndburn Council leader Cllr Miles Parkinson said: “The Band D rise of £5.01 a year is equivalent to 10 pence per week. As most households in Hyndburn are Band A rather than Band D properties, the vast majority of households will only see a rise of 7p per week.
“This is the only the fifth time this council raised council tax since 2009/10 and the average annual increase over this period has been below one per cent. This is significantly below the rate of inflation. We are one of he few councils to do this and it has been achieved by strong financial control."
A report to the Cabinet by deputy chief executive Joe McIntyre said: “The increase in council tax of 1.99 per cent is needed to assist the council balance its budget in 2021/22 and meet the cost of spending pressures not able to be funded from other revenue sources."
Conservative Group leader Marlene Haworth said of the rise: "We have a lot of questions to ask."
The council will continue to offer free parking in its own car parks