Another council tax rise is on the cards for residents of South Ribble

The borough council’s Tory administration is planning on increasing its part of council tax by 1.99 per cent - from £214.31 to £218.88 for Band D homes - an increase of £4.57 per year.

The recommendations will be discussed seeking approval, at a budget meeting on Wednesday evening.

A council spokesman said: “This proposed increase will enable the Council to continue to provide services at its existing levels and quality. Overall it equates to approximately 8p per week on the average Band D property”.

Adding: “It will enable the council to robustly plan for future funding changes which Government are proposing to make for 2020/21 financial year onwards.”

If agreed, a band D property in an area without a Parish Council will incur a total council tax bill of £1,836.40 per year. This is made up precepts from the police of £201.45, from the Fire Authority of £69.48 and from Lancashire County Council of £1,346.59.

If the 1.99 per cent increase is agreed for South Ribble, £8,230,250 will be raised, including parish precepts. This will go towards the Capital programme of £41m, which will be spent, subject to approval, on investment in parks, a new leisure facility in Leyland, investment in afforable housing, and Investment in the Council’s own infrastructure and assets.

Councillor Paul Foster, leader of the Labour opposition, slammed the Tory’s plans for expenditure as “all over the place”.

He said he was “appalled” at the 1.99 per cent hike proposal, which he claims is uneccesary, adding: “The Labour Group will only ever raise taxes as we have too, not because we can, and to take additional tax from hard working families to place in our bank is nothing short of theft.”