Gloucestershire: Hikes to council tax and parking fees

Specific details on how much the charges could go up are yet to be released

A local authority is proposing what it has called 'necessary' increases to council tax and parking charges.

Forest of Dean District Council is expected to approve interim budget proposals on 7 December.

Chief finance officer Andrew Knott said the council in Gloucestershire had been prudent and hikes in council tax were not ideal.

He added: "We need that money to be sustainable, with local government finances unknown into the future."

External auditors recently gave a positive report of the district council's finances in 2023, but there is uncertainty over the future of local funding and a major overhaul is expected after the next election.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, part of the proposal is to increase council tax by 2.99% which means an additional £5.96 a year for a Band D property.

Parking fees

The council will also be looking to increase parking charges and other fees.

Specific details have not been released.

Residents will be consulted on what charges and fees are proposed to be increased in due course.

Mr Knott said that he believed the council would not have to declare a Section 114 notice - which effectively means it is bankrupt.

Local authorities technically cannot declare bankruptcy but can issue the notice, which happened in the case of Birmingham City Council in September.

The notice often means an impact on residents with severe cuts to frontline services.