Consultation opened on 15% council tax rise

Residents in Bristol are being asked if they support an unprecedented 15% council tax rise.

The council tax increase is one option in a consultation launched by Bristol City Council on Friday.

The council has warned that the city is currently facing a £50m funding gap next year.

At present, there are tight restrictions on council tax rises above 5%, which is the amount bills have gone up every year since 2021.

A 15% increase, including 5% ring-fenced for social care, would be by far the biggest ever and would see Band D household charges rising by £314.35 a year, or £6.05 a week, from the current £2,095.69.

Under the increases, bills for Band B properties, which are £1,629.99 for 2024/2025, would be an extra £244.50 a year from April, £4.70 a week, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

These figures are what the council would charge and do not include the additional amounts levied by the police and fire authorities for their services, which are much smaller.

Bristol City Council said it was facing a £51.6m deficit in its core budget from April 2025 even if the fees go up by 5%, including 2% for social care, for the fifth year running.

At the moment, local authorities are only permitted to increase bills by 3% for day-to-day services, such as bin collections, libraries and road repairs, plus a 2% adult social care precept, without holding a local referendum.

But the public consultation launched by the city council asks residents how much the charges should rise, proposing options from zero to 10% for council tax and zero to 5% for social care.

The government has not yet announced the maximum increases for both in 2025/26 so the local authority has included much bigger options to see what householders are willing or able to pay.

Council leader Tony Dyer said: "These decisions cannot be taken lightly, nor will they be taken in isolation from the views and feedback of the people, businesses and communities that make up Bristol.

“This consultation provides an opportunity for us to share our financial forecasts and explain what is driving our financial circumstances."

The council said the financial deficit was largely down to increasing costs and demand for care services, housing support and education services, along with years of government funding cuts.

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