Council tax rise of 9% approved in Shropshire

Households in one of England's largest local authorities will have council tax increased by 9% from April – 4% above the usual limit.

Shropshire Council voted in the hike at a meeting on Thursday after the government had given the local authority special permission to increase bills beyond a 5% jump.

The move, which comes amid budget pressures, will add about £162 a year to the bill for an average Band D property.

Council leader Heather Kidd, Liberal Democrat, said the authority needed every penny it could get to spend on social care, and that increasing council tax would result in less borrowing in the 2026/27 financial year.

The council is one of seven struggling local authorities in England to be granted "limited additional flexibility at their request" to increase council tax.

Despite the rise in Shropshire, the authority is still expected to require a government loan of about £121.2m to balance its books.

And households in the county are set to face further increases in their tax bills overall when sums are factored in for town and parish council precepts, plus Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner.

Kidd conceded earlier this month that the situation would prove "very difficult" for a lot of residents.

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