Worksop and Bassetlaw residents to pay more Council Tax from April after district authority agrees increase

Bassetlaw District Council’s budget for the next financial year was agreed by councillors at a meeting of full council last week.

Despite facing significant pressures to deliver vital service with reduced resources, the council will spend around £20.7million on a wide range of public services.

Since 2010, Bassetlaw's grants from the Government have been reduced, facing a reduction of 58 per cent in funding.

Since 2013, the council has also identified estimated savings of £8.5 million across its services.

This has forced the council to make difficult decisions, including raising its share of the council tax bill by 2.99 per cent for the coming year from April 1, 2023, a spokesman said.

For Band D properties, this will see an increase of £5.64, or approximately 11p per week. However, around 50 per cent of properties in Bassetlaw are in Band A and they will see an increase of approx. £3.76 spread over the course of the next 12 months, the equivalent of 7p per week.

June Evans, Cabinet Member for Finance at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “I sympathise with residents who are being asked to pay more at a time when the cost of living and basic household bills are increasing.

“Council Tax is an essential source of income for councils and without this increase our budgets simply would not balance and vital services that people rely on could be put at risk.

“Just like residents, the council has and continues to experience a rise in the cost of providing its services and additional expenditure, and we have to plan accordingly for this. The Government has also factored these increases into their Financial Settlement with all councils for the coming year, meaning we have little choice but to raise our portion of Council Tax.

“Bassetlaw District Council is the collection agent for all authorities, yet receives just 8.38 per cent of all Council Tax paid.

"We are proud of the work that we do for residents and believe that, considering the small portion of Council Tax that Bassetlaw receives, we are providing good value for money and are managing our resources in a way that supports residents, brings about opportunity and benefits the district as a whole.”

The portion of Council Tax that Bassetlaw receives is used to fund essential and statutory services such as bin collections and recycling, community safety, parks and open spaces, housing, Environmental Health services, planning and building control, economic development and licensing.

The Council’s increased element of council tax is made alongside increases in other major preceptors (based on a Band D property).

These include:

• Nottinghamshire County Council - 4.84 per cent, including a social care precept at 2 per cent;
• Nottinghamshire Police & Crime commissioner - 5.88 per cent;
• Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Authority - 5.91 per cent;
• Parish Councils and Charter Trustees have increased - 4.59 per cent (on average).

These changes result in an overall increase for a Band D property of 4.84 per cent.