Buckinghamshire households face council tax hike of nearly 4%

The average resident in Buckinghamshire is set to pay more than £60 extra council tax a year.

The council is proposing a tax hike of 3.99% from April, including a 2% adult social care precept.

The move means residents in the average Band D property would pay an extra £1.23 per week.

Council leader Martin Tett said: "These are tough times and we are having to make really difficult choices as a result."

The Conservative authority said the decision came in the light of councils throughout the country "operating in a highly uncertain financial landscape".

It said increased demand on services and pressures created by the Covid pandemic had been coupled with reduced funding streams from areas such as car parking and leisure centres.

As well as the council tax increase, budget proposals include reducing funding for the council's 16 Community Boards and using a one-off sum of £1.36m to balance the books.

The Community Boards, which are groups populated by councillors, local representatives, group leaders and members of the public for various towns and villages across the county, are set to see their funding fall from £3.4m to £2m.

Mr Tett said: "There is no wriggle room in local authority budgets and I truly understand the pressures households are under with rising costs and increasing bills.

"I do want to stress that there is help available for people who are suffering severe financial hardship."

He said Buckinghamshire Council would still be able to spend more than £100m on improving the county's road network and would be opening an extra Household Recycling Centre.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]