Somerset Council Tax Rise Averts Fire Station Closures, Cuts

The fire service in Devon and Somerset needs money. They will use £1 million from their savings to cover budget issues. They asked for a council tax increase of about £5 per property each year. Most homes will pay £104.68 for the 2025/26 financial year.

Local councillors approved the tax increase this week after meeting to discuss the budget. A finance head called the central funding “disappointing.” Funding relies on inflation, using the consumer prices index. September’s inflation was the lowest in 2024.

The fire service has £26 million in total savings and plans to spend £21.5 million soon. The £1 million comes from saved funds earmarked for the future. They aim to balance the budget later through changes to how they work.

Grants the fire service gets are being removed, affecting their budget balance. One grant gave them nearly £600,000. The government is ending this rural services grant, which resulted in Devon losing about £14 million overall, mainly affecting the county council.

Another grant also ended, previously guaranteeing a four percent funding increase, totaling £1.7 million this year. They will get nothing next year, prompting a councillor to note past funding cuts. He expressed concerns about raising taxes on residents.

The councillor does not want to raise taxes, arguing residents pay when the government should. Without the extra money, cuts are likely, potentially impacting fire stations and firefighters. This could increase risk to the public. The fire authority voted to increase council tax, with thirteen members voting yes and four abstaining.