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Search the Public Notice PortalSOMERSET Council has been granted a 2.5 per cent increase to its Council Tax cap.
The increase takes the maximum limit the local authority can raise from taxpayers for 2025/26 to 7.5 per cent.
Leader of Somerset Council, Cllr Bill Revans, previously warned that Council Tax rates in Somerset could rise above the 5 per cent cap.
Read More: Somerset Council 2025 budget: number of options sought
Read More: Somerset Council Tax could rise beyond 5% government cap
Now the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Local Government, Angela Rayner, has confirmed in Parliament that Somerset Council has been granted a “small increase”.
Speaking in the House of Commons on January 3, 2025, Ms Rayner said: “These are difficult decisions that government has not taken lightly.”
“We recognise the importance of limited increases in helping to prevent these councils falling further into financial distress – but we have been clear this must be balanced with the interests of taxpayers”, Ms Rayner added.
A spokesperson for Somerset Council said: “As the increase will not raise enough money to fill the gap, Somerset Council will again be reliant on a Capitalisation Direction.”
“This is a form of one-off assistance offered last year which allows councils to sell assets or borrow money and use the proceeds to fund the budget gap and the day-to-day running costs”, the spokesperson added.
Cllr Revans said: “Today’s announcement gives us clarity and we will need to consider the implications before we finalise our budget proposals for debate and decision at Full Council later this month.”
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