Council tax bills to rise by 3.98% next year

The increase was decided by North East Lincolnshire Council at a meeting on Thursday

Residents in North East Lincolnshire will see council tax rise by 3.98% next year.

The increase is part of the 2025/26 budget that was agreed by full council at a meeting on Thursday.

The proposal noted that 2% of the increase will be set aside for adult social care.

Council leader Philip Jackson said the authority was investing in projects like the Freshney Place leisure scheme and the A180 repairs, while maintaining "relatively low levels of borrowing".

Households will see additional tax increases for the police and the fire service, which are not set by the council, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The new budget includes a 100% council tax relief for eligible foster carer households for the first time. This is expected to aid about100 households and cost about £143,000.

Under the proposals, £200,000 has been earmarked for a pilot dubbed Operation Clean and Green, which includes hiring more barrow workers and an urban litter ranger.

'Lacking in vision'

The authority plans to use £2m from the sale of council assets, such as former school playing fields, to fund activities in children and family services, aiming to save £0.7m.

There will be a significant rise in capital investment from £2.1m to £13.3m, the LDRS reported, and the investment in the replacement of the council's environmental service vehicles fleet will increase from £673,000 to £1.7m.

The budget and council tax changes were passed 25-13, with only Labour and Reform UK opposed.

However, Labour councillor Kath Wheatley criticised it and described it as "lacking in vision [and] potential".

"The only time I want vanilla is when eating an ice cream on Cleethorpes promenade," she said.

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