Council set to hike cost of wedding photos at pier

Saltburn's cliff lift runs down to the pier

The cost of taking wedding photos on a pier, parking fees and council tax are all set to rise at one local authority in 2024, it has been announced.

The price hikes are part of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's proposed budget for the next five years, which is now under public consultation.

Under the plans, from April the price of taking wedding photos on Saltburn Pier will rise from £225 to £250 for a one-hour slot, and council tax will rise by 5%, the council said.

The hikes are down to high inflation and other factors, it added.

The price of taking wedding photos on Saltburn Pier will rise from £225 to £250

The cost of car parking, except for blue badge holders, will rise at varying levels in the spaces run by the local authority.

Library fines for late books will rise from 25p to 30p per day.

Meanwhile, the cost of bulky waste collections for one to three items will rise from £17 to £20, whereas collections of four to six items will rise from £34 to £40.

The council, which is controlled by Labour on a minority basis, also confirmed that from April people will need to pay £40 a year to have garden waste collected.

"Introducing a subscription fee also means that the service will only be paid for by those households that choose to use it," said councillor Adam Brook.

'Dangerously low level'

This rise in costs will bring in about £960,000 next year alongside other price hikes.

Cuts have also been planned, including merging council teams together and reducing the amount that it spends on agency workers. In total, the price rises alongside the budget cuts will recoup about £9.2m over the next five years.

The plans will be finalised in January and could be approved by February, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council’s report on the proposed budget said: “Left unmitigated the pressures next year would significantly deplete reserves, reducing the council’s financial resilience to a dangerously low level and leaving an unsustainable financial position still to be resolved.”

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