Chesterfield councillors approve 'small' council tax rise

The decision was made by members of Chesterfield Borough Council at a meeting on Wednesday.

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From April, council tax bills for those in a band A property will go up from £109.93 to £113.26. Most Chesterfield residents live in a band A property.

Those living in band D properties will see a rise from £164.89 to £169.89.

A Chesterfield Borough Council spokesperson said: “Councillors voted for a small increase in council tax in order to ensure that the council can continue to put communities first and improve the quality of life for local people.

“The increase in council tax follows the council continuing to face cuts in funding from the Government.

“Since 2015, the council has lost £1.9million each year in funding from the Government and faces a further cut of £440,000 in the next financial year.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, council leader, previously told the Derbyshire Times that council tax helps to fund more than 50 services which are provided by the authority, including waste collection, environmental health and parking services.

After the meeting, Paul Holmes, leader of the Liberal Democrats group, said: “Chesterfield Borough Council is spending £1m a year more than it has coming in.

“Instead of getting to grips with their overspending, Labour councillors keep relying on shuffling money around to fill gaps and on above inflation tax increases and car park increases.”

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