Gloucester City council approves 3% increase

Gloucester residents will be expected to pay more to the city council from April as councillors have approved a 3% tax hike.

The tax rise will mean band D households will have to pay £223.48 for Gloucester City Council’s services during the upcoming financial year.

The final tax bill residents pay will be much higher as it will include the £1,523.78 in county council costs, the £295.05 per year which will go towards the police along with the parish council fees for those living in Quedgeley.

Council leader Richard Cook (C, Kingsway) spoke of the difficult financial environment the authority finds itself in at the meeting on February 23.

He told those present at North Warehouse that the council faced budget pressures due to the pandemic and they have made substantial investments in their IT systems while recovering from the cyber attack.

He said: “Over the last nine years this council has achieved cumulative savings of £5.5 million.

“This has been achieved while also generating additional income to this council. Our administration is proposing to increase the council tax by 2.99%.

“This means the average increase since this council has had a Conservative administration since 2004 is 2.3%.

“Which is some achievement when it’s compared to the 10% per annum of the previous years when the opposition parties ran the council. A band D household pays less than 60 pence per day for all the services provided by the city council.”

He reiterated the council’s aims include creating a fairer, greener and better Gloucester for everyone. Tackling inequalities and taking action on climate change are his Conservative administration’s top priorities, he said.

The Liberal Democrats put forward amendments to the budget which included restoring green waste collections for January, employing an urban designer and putting money aside to cover the cost of a tree watering gang and bowser to ensure young trees are adequately watered during hot summer days.

Group leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) said: “When you look at the way the council was being run in 2009 and 2010, when they were still in charge, the revenue budget was £17.5m.

“We are being asked to support a budget tonight of £15.8m. In real terms, we should be spending £24.7 million if we were spending the same proportion on services as we were then.

The Lib Dem proposals were voted down as Conservative leaders said they were not necessary. Gloucestershire County Council will be watering trees, the council already employs specialists in planning and garden waste bins would not be used as not much gardening happens in the winter, council leaders said.

The council voted to approve the budget by 22 votes in favour and 12 against.

By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter

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