Borough council agrees to 2.99% council tax rise

Redditch Borough Council has agreed a new budget that includes a 2.99% rise for its portion of residents' council tax bill.

The budget, passed at a meeting on Monday night, comes just days after Worcestershire County Council passed its budget which included a 9% rise.

Redditch Borough Council collects the entire council tax bill from Redditch residents on behalf of the county council, the police and crime commissioner, fire and rescue service and Feckenham Parish Council.

Cabinet member for finance Ian Woodall described the borough council's new budget as "strong" and "confident".

He said: "By setting a strong, confident budget, we've avoided making cuts to services and can keep them modern, high‑quality, and focused on the needs of our residents.

"This budget has kept the council's finances on an even keel, and the council tax rate is in line with the rate of inflation.

"We've done this by managing our budgets effectively over the last two years.

"Owing to this, we'll now be able to invest over a million pounds in our communities over the coming years."

Leader of Redditch Borough Council Sharon Harvey added: "We retain less than 12% of the Council Tax we collect, which is a very small share of the total contributed by our residents.

"And we do much more than empty your bin, our community investment is not for showing off or political point-scoring, it's about delivering high-quality services for our residents on the ground. It's about continuing to be proud of the positive, inclusive, and beautiful town we live in."

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