COUNCIL tax for South Gloucestershire residents is set to rise by 4.99% next year – the maximum allowed without a local referendum.
Green bin charges are also set to rise again, while cuts to services are also planned.
The changes are included in the council’s draft annual budget, which is out for public consultation until December 21.
The council says every 1% increase in tax brings in about £1.9 million of extra funding for local services, and a smaller increase would mean having to make even more cuts than proposed.
It says it is facing “rapid increases” in costs in areas such as transporting youngsters with special education needs and disabilities to school.
To tackle this, it intends to invest in improving facilities in mainstream schools for pupils with less complex needs, while expanding services for both pre-schoolers and post-16 students.
Garden waste collection charges could soar by 19% from April. The council is proposing a hike from £63 to £75 “to continue to cover the costs of providing the service”.
It comes despite fees doubling from £30 to £60 in 2024, a rise which came with a pledge from leaders that future increases would go up only by the rate of inflation, which is currently under 4%.
The authority said: “Historically, charges for services like green waste collections have been much lower in South Gloucestershire than in other parts of the country – and far below the costs of delivering them.
“However, with more constrained council finances, it feels unfair to continue to subsidise services like these, which the council is not required to provide, where there are alternative companies in the private sector providing a service.”
Council leader Maggie Tyrrell (Lib Dem,Thornbury) says she wants to encourage everyone to take part in the budget consultation process.
She said: “We have set out how the current difficulty and uncertainty about the funding we receive, and the surging demand for some of the most expensive services that people rely on, is affecting the council.
“This consultation is a really important way for you to let us know how you’re being affected, and how any changes we make in the future might affect you, too.
“Wherever we can, we want to work together, with individuals, communities and partners to find ways to reduce the impact of needing to make cuts to spending.”
Council co-leader Cllr Ian Boulton (Labour, Staple Hill & Mangotsfield) said: “The choices open to us are limited, with difficult decisions to make.
“We’ve set out where our money comes from and where it has to be spent.
“But we want this consultation to be useful and meaningful.”
Conservative group leader Sam Bromiley (Parkwall & Warmley) said it was “outrageous” that residents are being asked to pay more for services that are being cut, adding: “These plans amount to a budget of broken promises and misplaced priorities.”
The consultation can be found online at www.southglos.gov.uk/budget
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Where the axe could fall
MEALS on wheels, pest control and the HandyVan household repairs service face cuts or increased charges under South Gloucestershire Council’s budget plans.
The authority says that although they are highly valued by residents, council taxpayers are subsidising all three and it is not legally required to provide any of them.
The community meals service, better known as meals on wheels, is currently losing more than £125,000 per year – about £2.20 for every meal delivered.
The council said an increase in meal charges would offset losses.
The council is also considering options to stop subsidising the HandyVan, which provides services from plumbing and kitchen adaptations to decorating and even flat-pack furniture building, and offers discounted rates to over-60s and people with disabilities.
The consultation said the pest control service also does not make any money, adding: “This is not a service which the council must provide, and there are companies in the private sector who offer a good value alternative.”
Other measures include cutting funding to town and parish councils for public toilets and parks, as well as flood prevention work.
The document said: “We plan to increase how often we clear drains and gulleys in the areas which are most prone to flooding, but to create capacity to do this, we need to reduce how regularly we do this in other places.”