Council tax up for Hagley and Clent villagers (From Stourbridge News)

Council tax up for Hagley and Clent villagers

1:00pm Saturday 2nd March 2013 in News

RESIDENTS in Hagley and Clent will have to pay more after a hike in council tax from Bromsgrove District Council.

The authority has approved a 1.9 per cent rise for the new financial year, which means their slice of the annual tax on a band D property will be £196.51.

Councillors approved the rise as part of a budget which also includes spending cuts, a contribution of £97,000 from reserves and the removal or reduction of council tax discounts on short term empty second homes.

Bromsgrove District Council leader, cllr Roger Hollingworth, said: “This financial plan shows how this council is still driving to protect services and save money, from halving our senior management costs to sharing services with neighbouring authorities.

"We’ve saved millions per year from our costs without losing any services and this work is ongoing.

“All this comes in a time when, by next year, we will have had to have dealt with a 46 per cent cut in government funding as well as other financial pressures, and after two years of tax freezes. A 1.9 per cent rise has now been necessary to help balance the books – both now and in the future.”