Barnsley residents to pay an extra 3.9% on council tax

The council said it would also dip into reserves to balance the books

People living in Barnsley will pay an extra 3.9% in council tax in the next year raising an additional £4m for the authority.

However, the council's leader said it was believed to be one of the lowest in Yorkshire.

The increase would mean people living in a Band D property paying £64 more a year, taking their annual bill to £1,705.57.

The budget will need final approval by the full council on 23 February.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the 2023/24 budget proposal states the rise is due to austerity measures and "the impact of the 10 years of significant reductions in Government funding that followed".

It said using £5.5m of its reserve would "further mitigate the pressures" in areas such as social care, energy costs, school transport and waste services.

Council leader Sir Steve Houghton, said: "It's an incredibly difficult time to have to do that, with inflation currently running around 10, 11%.

"With service demand, particularly in children's and adult's services rising exponentially, compared to previous years, so that's got to be funded and taken care of."

Fellow cabinet member James Higginbottom said the budget was "positive" for Barnsley.

"We are presenting a budget that is based on investment, it's based on our priorities for growing the borough, for the continued regeneration of the borough," he added.

The budget will see investment of £17.5m in frontline services, particularly in social care and a £7m investment for new schemes to improve housing, schools, and roads.

An additional £2m will be used to address potholes in the area.

The full council will be asked to approve the budget on 23 February.