Council Tax Increase Confirmed by Northumberland Leader in New Budget

Northumberland’s council tax will likely increase soon. The council promises services won’t get cut. Council Leader Glen Sanderson spoke about the budget. He said he was “proud” of this budget plan.

The Conservatives and Labour disagree about funding. Tories call the government funds “disappointing.” Labour says the grant increased by £20 million. Sanderson wanted to lower council tax before the funding settlement was revealed.

Last year’s budget included a 2.99% increase. Tories say they’d cut bills with better funding. Some councils raise council tax by 10%. The police commissioner is raising theirs by 7.7%.

Northumberland’s increase will be 2.99%. It’s slightly above inflation with rising costs. Activists say the council got £20 million more. This doesn’t include extra costs the council must cover.

New initiatives add to expenses for the council. Adult social care costs more now. Children needing special needs care also cost more. A new tax increases national insurance costs. Several other areas need more funds too.

Sanderson says they have a sound budget protecting frontline services in a hard time. Free town centre parking will continue. Also, free parking will remain at country parks for an hour. The budget supports school and leisure projects.

Council tax for Band A properties rises by £35.33 yearly. The total will go from £1,181.64 to £1,216.97 starting in April. Labour leader Scott Dickinson defended the government’s funding.

Dickinson says the government granted £20 million, calling it the biggest investment in the area in years. He said the council plans tax increases annually since 2017. Road funding is great news worth £8 million.

He also mentioned increased funds for social care. There’s also more for special needs and schools. He calls them the most generous investments in years. Dickinson says people in Northumberland won’t feel things are worse.

Dickinson hopes Labour will be able to use funding effectively. He wants to prioritize residents’ needs. Labour aims to restore the council’s reputation and support staff and basic services.

Government data shows schools get £341.4M in 2025/26, up from £316.8M in 2024/25 and £291.2M in 2023/24. The council should get £8.5M for highways from the North East Combined Authority, plus £21M from the Local Transport Plan. Last year, they got £26.2M directly from the government, while the combined authority gave no extra money.