Town council tax hike to make bills among UK's costliest

Bridgwater Town Council's tax precept has almost quadrupled in two years

A town council in Somerset has agreed to a tax rise that will make its bills among the most expensive in the country.

People living in an average band D household in Bridgwater will have to pay £411 a year to Bridgwater Town Council in 2025-26 - an increase of about £115 on 2024-25.

It means the authority's council tax bills have almost quadrupled in two years.

The council has said the rise is due to it taking over services which Somerset Council could no longer afford to run, including parks, open spaces, fly-tipping and some CCTV.

The tax precept agreed by the town council makes up just a small portion of overall bills, with the remainder set by Somerset Council and other key public services.

Town council leader Brian Smedley said the authority was "committed to preserving jobs, maintaining services, and protecting the assets that our community relies on".

He also highlighted that the council has nearly 9,000 homes in band A (the lowest band) and 800 in band D, meaning Bridgwater has "unique needs compared to other towns in Somerset".

The increase, he said, "ensures that our parks and gardens remain open, our streets stay clean, and our community buildings remain active".

Bridgwater Town Council's tax precept was set at £112 in 2023-24, meaning it has almost quadrupled in two years.

Diogo Rodrigues, who is a councillor for both Bridgwater Town Council and Somerset Council, said it is a "huge cost for people on the breadline".

"We've not heard from residents whether they want to go down this route or not," he added.

Residents will see the increase when the new council tax bills go out in April.