Doncaster Council proposes near 5% council tax rise

The Labour-run authority said after the rise Doncaster would still have one of the lowest council tax rates in the country

Council tax could rise by the maximum amount permitted in Doncaster this year to ease budgetary pressures, the council has said.

The authority's cabinet is due to vote on whether to approve a 4.99% increase at an upcoming meeting.

The largest slice of the rise, 2.99%, will fund the council's general budget. The remaining 2% is ringfenced for adult social care.

Figures show the rise would see Band A properties pay an extra £52 each year.

The increase would mean people living in Band D properties forking out £78 more annually.

Any rise above 5% can trigger a local referendum, with voters deciding whether to accept or refuse the proposals.

The council said the proposed increase would generate £7.3m extra for the council, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Core government funding had reduced by 25% since 2010, which equated to a reduction in real terms of £344 per resident, the authority said.

A vote by the authority's cabinet on the proposals is due to take place on 12 February with a 7% increase in council housing rents also on the table.

It would then go to a full meeting of the council on 26 February.