• District council meeting approved plans for increase

• Conservative administration had proposed a council tax freeze

• Overall tax bill for Band D homeowners in South Derbyshire is £1,778

By Eddie Bisknell

South Derbyshire is to set to see a council tax rise of 1.95 per cent – meaning an extra £3.17 on average for Swadlincote homeowners.

A meeting of South Derbyshire District Council's finance committee, councillors approved plans to put forward a tax rise of 1.95 per cent, in line with last year's increase.

The proposal will now head to full council for final approval, alongside the authority's budget proposals for the next year.

Its proposed increase would see the district's share of council tax rise to £165.48.

The surrounding districts and boroughs, county council, police and fire services are yet to announce their proposed council tax increases for the coming financial year.

The overall tax bill for Band D homeowners in South Derbyshire is £1,778 – an increase of nearly £80 on the previous year.

It is the county council which takes up the vast majority of each year's tax bill.

The county Conservative administration has long proposed a council tax freeze this year and next year, ahead of the 2021 county election.

However, in recent months it has said that this long-held pledge could be dropped, as the pressure to make budget cuts mounts.

It aims to cut £63 million by 2023.

In September, Chancellor Sajid Javid announced that councils would get £1.5 billion extra for adults and children's social care.

It was later revealed that £500 million of this would only come if councils chose to increase their council tax precepts specifically to fund adult social care.

Central government has previously offered this option, allowing council to increase council tax by an additional two per cent – above the usual maximum of three per cent – to fund adult social care.

Both children's services and adult social care continue to be key budget pressures for the county council.

Councillors also committed to a council tax premium for owners of long-term empty houses.

There is already a double charge for long-term properties, but this will be increased to triple for owners of homes empty for five to 10 years.

This would impact 74 homes and could raise nearly a quarter of a million pounds for the authority.