RESIDENTS are set to see an increase in their Council Tax bill of around £7 a month for services including waste collection and roads repairs.

Locals are being asked for their feedback on two key budget proposals for 2024/25 from both the county and district councils.

The two proposed rises in Council Tax would see people in a Band D property paying an extra £6.82 a month, excluding precepts from the police and town and parish councils.

Gloucestershire County Council, which takes the largest share of residents’ overall bill, is seeking views on its “ambitious” budget proposal for the next financial year.

Under the proposals, spending for 2024/25 will reach £609 million, an increase of more than £42 million on 2023/24 levels.

The council says its new Energy from Waste plant will generate a £15 million boost to next year’s budget.

It proposes to continue with £100 million of investment into highways “transformation” work, which has already seen 212 roads resurfaced and 50,000 potholes filled this year.

It also proposes to allocate £19.8 million to school improvements and a £8.3 million Disabled Facilities Grant to support people with a disability to make adaptations to their homes.

Plans would see £1.3 million invested into improving timetabled bus services, with The Robin also due to be extended from May.

A total of £1.9 million is proposed to be invested in tackling key road safety hotspots and providing specialist training to Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.

The council also plans to continue the financial support for residents who have welcomed Ukrainian guests into their homes.

The budget proposes raising £14.2 million to help fund services through a council tax increase of 2.99%. 

The proposals would also see £7.8 million raised specifically to support work with the most vulnerable adults in the county through a further 2% increase in the adult social care precept.

Despite this increase, the council still expects to have one of the lowest council tax levels of any county council. Based on a band D property, residents would pay an additional £6.34 each month.

Around £23 million has also been identified in savings, additional income and efficiencies for next year.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “This is a budget that will mean 2024 is yet another year where we will deliver for communities, for businesses and for the future of this great county.

“Unlike many other councils who are struggling to balance the books, we haven’t had to make dramatic cuts to the services you rely on each day – in fact, we’ve increased our investment in them by £42 million.

For more information on the budget and details on how to have your say, click here.

Public consultation runs until 5pm on January 11. 

At the Forest Council, which receives just 9% of the overall bill residents pay, a 2.99% council tax increase is also proposed, equating to 48p extra a month for a Band D property.

Its draft budget also includes increases to car parking charges and other service fees.

As well as continuing to provide services, the council will also be supporting Levelling Up projects, including the regeneration of Five Acres, a new facility at Hartpury University and College and the regeneration of buildings in Cinderford.

A consultation is launching on December 22 and more people are being urged to have their say, with just six people having responded last year.

Chief finance officer Andrew Knott told a cabinet meeting on December 7 that the authority does not tend to get many responses overall.

“I think this year we should put out additional questions around the savings strategy, the growth items, and the fees and charges and ask for comments on those. Those three areas are quite good things to get comments on.

“Last year we ended up with something like six comments. They were generalised comments.

“It’s trying to get more concise questions. Rather than asking what people are thinking about the overall budget.”

Council leader Mark Topping (G, Aylburton and Lydney West) agreed that would be a good approach.

Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Andy Moore, said the authority was committed to high-quality service despite “significant cuts” to its budget, and the expectation that Government cuts will carry on through the coming years.

“Having recently been audited, we’re in a strong financial position and though we’re starting from a healthy place, funding remains a challenge.

"As part of the Council’s careful management of finances, we have improved the efficiency of our services and were able to save over £608,000 in 2023/2024 and are predicting to save more than £581,000 in 2024/2025.

"We were also one of only three councils across the country to complete the audit in the required time period, once again showing how well financial services are managed at Forest of Dean District Council.

“As part of our budget plans we are proposing that we continue to work towards our goal of taking effective action in response to the climate emergency, as well as ensuring that affordable housing is available in the Forest of Dean for the people who need it most.

"We also want to continue to help our local community groups to continue to provide fantastic services for residents and ensure that services such as our street warden and waste teams continue to operate effectively.”

A link to the Forest consultation will be available on The Forester website from December 22.