Council proposes maximum tax hike to raise funds

A local authority said it planned to increase council tax by the maximum amount to help make £115.6m in savings and income over the next three years.

Conservative-controlled Buckinghamshire Council plans to raise its tax on residents by 4.99%.

During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, council leader Martin Tett said he would "rather not" increase the tax, but stressed the authority had "no choice" with the hike roughly in line with inflation.

The council's finance and resources select committee is due to scrutinise the draft budget for 2025-26, before it is put before the full council to vote upon in February.

The council said 80% of its budget was funded by council tax. The administration increased the charge by the same amount last year.

Mr Tett highlighted areas of spending popular with residents, including the £120m set aside for potholes and to fix the county's roads in 2025-26.

"I hope that demonstrates the focus on residents' priorities, but counterbalanced by some tough decisions on income and charges and also cuts," he told the meeting.

"They will impact on people."

The 4.99% council tax rise represents an extra £1.77 per week for the average Band D home in the forthcoming financial year from April, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The rise includes raising the base rate of council tax by 2.99%, alongside a 2% rise in the adult social care precept.

Mr Tett warned the council's budget remained under "pressure" from several key services including looking after vulnerable children and safeguarding those at risk, as well as social care for working-age adults and elderly people.

Other large areas of spending are home to school transport for children with high needs and providing temporary accommodation for homeless people and families.

The cabinet approved the draft programme of spending for the next three years which would see savings to children's services and the county's libraries.

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