Hartlepool council tax bills to rise by smaller than expected sum

This will include a 0.99% increase in core council tax for Hartlepool residents, plus a 2% precept for adult social care services, but will be below the total 4.99% rise initially recommended by Hartlepool Borough Council finance chiefs.

Conservative councillor Mike Young, the leader of the council, said they “cannot in good conscience inflict” the near 5% uplift on households.

Labour councillors, however, stressed they “would not vote for a rise in council tax”.

Steps to balance the 2024-25 budget following the reduced increase will also include recommendations to the Independent Remuneration Panel for all special responsibility and group leader allowances for councillors to be removed - saving around £93,000.

Additional proposals to address council tax fraud are estimated to save £150,000 while £1.044million in additional grant funding, recently announced by the Government, will be used to help bridge the overall £8m budget gap.

The proposals from the leading coalition were approved at a full council meeting by 18 votes to 17 with one abstention.

Councillor Young said: “We are more than aware of the strain on residents’ finances over a number of years and we also appreciate the impact this has had in terms of the cost increase in service delivery to the council.”

He added the 2% adult social care precept will help “the most vulnerable people in our community”.

Councillor Jonathan Brash, deputy Labour group leader on the authority, argued work should have been taking place over the last year to provide a council tax freeze, adding: “It is no way to run a council.

“I feel like we couldn’t have been clearer going back to last April that this Labour group would not vote for a rise in council tax.”

An amendment from Cllr Brash was also approved requesting councillors consider voluntarily giving up special responsibility allowances, available to the likes of committee chairs, immediately.

Finance director James Magog said the “most robust thing for the council to do” would be a 4.99% council tax increase, in line with government assumptions, as many other authorities are.

Yet he concluded he would “reluctantly agree” a 2.99% tax rise “could be considered robust” given the lack of other proposals provided.