5.99 per cent council tax increase in Nottingham

Nottingham City Council is set to approve £27 million of savings to balance its 2018/19 budget, which will see council tax increase by a total of 5.99 per cent.

Facing government cuts and the rising cost of adult social care services, the council plans also see a loss of over 200 council posts.

Caring for the elderly, disabled and children now accounts for over 60 per cent of the council’s entire budget – meaning the funding for other services like leisure, highways and parks is being drastically squeezed.

Graham Chapman, deputy leader of the council, said: “Not only is the government continuing with these cuts, it is also expecting councils to raise council tax if they are to have any chance of continuing to provide local services. It has also failed to address the adult social care crisis, leaving councils struggling without sufficient funding to address what is a national issue. Unfortunately until the government deals with the issue of financing care for the elderly, this may well be the pattern for the next few years.

“Places like Nottingham been hit hardest by their austerity measures, but we can’t raise as much in Council Tax as more affluent areas, and yet the services we provide are needed more here than in richer areas. That’s what makes these cuts so unfair. The last thing we want to do is increase council tax for local people while reducing services, but the government has really left us with no other option.”