Councillors vote to raise council tax by maximum amount

A two-hour meeting confirmed the increase proposed by the ruling coalition of the Burnley Independent Group of councillors who quit Labour over Gaza, the Greens, and the Liberal Democrats.

The session at Burnley Town Hall on Tuesday night also approved a 4.6% increase in councillors allowances for 2023/24 The rise was recommended by the authority's the Independent Remuneration Panel after comparing the scheme with that of neighbouring authorities. The basic annual allowance will rise from £3,883.15 to £4,061.77

Burnley's 2.99% council tax hike follows Lancashire County Council – which provides key services including education, highways and children's an adult social care – approving a maximum 5.99% rise last week.

With this increase – and rises in the special levies to pay for the police and fire services – a typical Band A terraced house in Burnley will pay a total council tax bill of £1,559.49 in the year from April 1. The new annual figure for a Band D semi-detached family home for 2024/25 is £2,339.24.

Households in Briercliffe with Extwistle, Cliviger, Habergham Eaves, Padiham, Worsthorne with Hurstwood, Hapton, Ightenhill and Dunnockshaw will pay a small extra parish council precept.

The meeting voted down a Conservative proposal to reduce the council tax rise from 2.99% to 1% for 2024/25.

It also rejected Labour amendments costing £146,000 to improve the maintenance of grassed areas and verges, to clean up the streets targeting littering and dog fouling, to provide a safer and more attractive town centre visitor experience, and to provide targeted waste management services for households in financial need requiring crisis support.

The council's finance boss Coun. Margaret Lishman told the meeting: "The proposal for our council tax increase is 2.99%. This increase will raise the cost to a Band D household from £328 to £337 for this year which will raise additional income of £233,000 in 2024/25. This is an actual increase of under £10 per household for the year – 18 pence a week.

"Government proposals are for an increase of 5.3% in this council’s core spending power. Central government’s calculation of how much they give to Burnley Council makes a number of assumptions – the most important is that the council will increase our council tax by a certain level which this year is 2.99%. This government and its predecessors have systematically starved local government of money."

Conservative counterpart Coun. Jamie McGowan said: "Is it really out of bounds for us to be able to set a budget which does not require, every year, to increase the amount paid by residents by the maximum allowed? I don’t think it is. We feel that those who go out to work each day are getting the short end of the stick with the maximum council tax increase. And is why we’re proposing to reduce that."

Labour group leader Coun. Mark Townsend said after the meeting: "I am shocked that the administration were whipped to vote down proposals that would have put additional money into vital services for a cleaner greener borough when they are putting council tax up by the maximum amount.”