As council taxpayers across the country await the expected rises in their council tax bills, seven local authorities have been granted special permission to demand a rise nearly double the usual 4.99 per cent limit.
As anticipated, North Somerset is one such authority. An 8.99 per cent increase could now be charged. This would mean an extra £13.44 a month for a typical band D property.
In 2014, 25 per cent of North Somerset’s spending came from government grants; by 2025 it was only 11 per cent. Just before Christmas, the government cut the council’s funding by £18.6 million over the next three years.
Even with the proposed increase, the council will not be able to produce a balanced budget for 2026/27. It still faces a £2.4 million budget gap in its finances, on top of the £18 million of cuts and savings already called for in the planned budget.
Across the country, the increased costs of care for the elderly and disabled, and for children, and the cuts in central government support are bankrupting local councils and leading to worse services. The question is how long that can continue.