Council proposes to raise tax by maximum amount

Proposals to increase council tax by 4.99% have been made by Conservative-run Suffolk County Council.

Its draft budget report will go before the scrutiny committee next week and then put before the full council, to be voted on in February.

Richard Smith, cabinet member for finance, said the Labour government had assumed council tax would be raised by the full amount permitted "leaving local authorities with limited options if essential services are to be maintained".

The government said its council funding settlement for the country was "a chance to turn the page on a decade of cuts and callousness, and for local leaders to invest in getting back what has been lost".

The council's core spending has gone from £805m in 2025-26 to and expected £850m for the next financial year, according to the report.

The draft budget also includes putting council tax up by 4.99%.

The council said this would mean a band B property will now pay £25.90 per week and a band D property £33.30 per week for its services, with the bill for district and borough councils added to that to give the full council tax figure for households.

A £46m savings plan has also been identified by the county council and £5m will come from reserves to fill a budget shortfall.

Though large sums of money, the savings represents 6% of the total budget.

Smith said: "Residents expect high-quality services and careful use of public money, and that is exactly what this budget delivers.

"Transformation and efficiency across the council will ensure every pound spent delivers value for money – for vulnerable people, for families and for our communities."

The largest proportion of savings outlined in the draft budget will come from adult social care and children's services.

Andrew Stringer, the leader of the Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent group at the authority, said: "Again we are facing tax rises with services being trimmed to the bone.

"This broken model of financing local government — it directly puts filling potholes up against adult social care."

Sandy Martin, Labour group leader and former MP for Ipswich, said "money for local government is still very tight and we would like there to be more".

"It is interesting that local government is now better off, but because the Conservatives starved the poorer parts of the country it is natural Suffolk won't be getting as much some other areas," he added.

The final decision on whether council tax will go up, will be made in February at a full council meeting.

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