COUNCIL tax in Warrington is set to increase by 4.98 per cent.

The 2024-25 medium-term financial plan, draft revenue budget and capital programme will come before the Labour-run council’s cabinet at its Town Hall meeting next Monday, February 12.

A report to cabinet says the process of setting a budget for 2024-25 and beyond has been ‘more difficult this year than in any year in recent memory’.

It adds: “This time last year we were reflecting on dealing with the issues coming out of the war in Ukraine and the huge increases in energy costs and the impact that has had on our delivery of services going forward.

“We are now facing different issues, with an economy potentially in recession and conflicts in Israel and Gaza potentially having wider impacts.

“As always, the council will work closely with staff and the trade unions to reduce the need for compulsory redundancies, which has worked well in recent years.

“These saving proposals may result in a very small number of compulsory redundancies, and there is always the need for ongoing in-year financial management and the consideration of service restructuring.

“This will, however, prioritise the deletion of vacant posts and approval of voluntary redundancies, to keep the need for compulsory redundancies to a minimum.”

The report says the ‘currently required budget’ for 2024-25 totals £194.292 million, which includes £15.9 million of savings.

In 2023-24, council tax in Warrington increased by 4.98 per cent.

It is proposed that council tax is increased by 4.98 per cent in 2024-25 – which includes an adult social care precept of two per cent.

In 2023-24, the cost in Warrington Borough Council tax for an average Band D property totalled £1,694.79.

And in 2024-25, the proposals would see an average Band D property pay £1,779.19 of Warrington Borough Council tax.

So, this would see the Warrington Borough Council tax cost for an average Band D property rise by £84.40.

But the report states, after taking into account the council tax requirement of the borough council, the police precept for Cheshire, and the fire precept for Cheshire, there would be a total cost of £2,123.84 for an average Band D property, in an area without a parish council. This is based on the borough council’s forecasts for the increases in the police and fire precepts.

Meanwhile, it states that the average Band D property, in an area with a parish council, would see the cost total £2,162.72.

The cabinet is recommended to propose the council tax increase and the budget proposals.

The proposals would then need to be approved at the full council meeting on February 26.