Uttlesford: Council tax rebate to help rise of living costs

The rebate will be offered to the poorest in the district of Uttlesford

A one-off council tax rebate will be offered to the poorest in a council district to combat the rising cost of living.

In Uttlesford, council tax for a Band D property will rise by 3.09% to £166.61, according to a council report.

But 948 people receiving council tax support will be eligible for the £100 rebate.

The rebate and council tax rise were approved at a district council meeting on Tuesday.

An amendment for the rebate was proposed by the Liberal Democrat and Green Groups on Uttlesford District Council (UDC) and supported by the Residents For Uttlesford-led administration.

Neil Hargreaves, deputy leader and portfolio holder for finance and budget, said at the meeting: "With spiralling energy bills and inflation, we understand and appreciate that money is tight for some residents, and the UDC increase is below the rate of inflation at a very modest 10p per week."

The council approved a council tax rise for other residents

Introducing the amendment, Liber Democrat councillor Ayub Khan said residents were "in extraordinary times".

He added the interest-free loan introduced by the government earlier this year would go some way to helping families, but warned a coming hike in national insurance would soon hit the lowest income residents in the district, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The budget-setting comes two weeks after the government announced the district council would be "designated", meaning it has been stripped of some of its planning powers.

Developers now have the option of applying directly to the planning inspectorate for major applications, meaning the council will lose out on an estimated £560,000 worth of planning fees this year.

The council said it had accounted for the financial loss when planning its 2022-23 budget.

After separate increases from Essex County Council, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex and the district's town and parish councils, the total council tax bill for a Band D property in Uttlesford will be £1,965.60, a 4.29% increase of £80.88.