Residents in Monmouthshire set for 5.95% council tax hike in April

Twm Owen, local Democracy Reporter

Council tax in Monmouthshire is set to increase by 5.95% from April as the county looks to make cuts and savings worth £11.6m.

The council says the increase is needed in order to find an extra £26m to cover costs brought on by inflation and rising energy bills.

The council tax increase is set to bring in an additional £4.1m.

A band D home currently paying £1,476.79 in council tax would see a rise by £87.87 a year.

That’s before police, town and community council precepts are added – which the council says works out as an extra £1.69 a week.

For homes in bands E to I, increases work out at an extra £2.07, £2.44, £2.82, £3.38 and £3.94 a week.

Among the cuts included in the upcoming budget are reduced opening hours at leisure centres and the council’s six community hubs throughout the county.

Cuts

Plans are also in place to withdraw financial support from the Gwent Music service which helps children learn to play musical instruments.

Welsh Government funding for the 2023/24 financial year will increase by £10.2 million.

Other proposals for cuts include, schools which face a £1.45m reduction in funding, while social services will see £4.4m worth of cuts, including £2m from already under-pressure adult services and £1.36m from children’s services.

Increased charges and fees could net the council £1.4m, with car parking charges to rise by 15% and garden waste collection charges also set to be hiked.

Charges are also set to be introduced at some heritage exhibitions along with a reduction in community hub and County Hall staff.

Leisure centre opening hours will be reduced at all four centres in the summer making the service more “sustainable” whilst halving the budget for library books is intended to save £45,000.

Investments planned for the coming year include £66,000 for a new Welsh medium seedling school in Monmouth and flats in Caldicot for people with learning disabilities to live independently.