How much council tax will I pay in the Black Country?
Council tax charges are set to rise across the Black Country in April.Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Sandwell councils laid out their plans in budget meetings this week.All four councils agreed to increase council tax by the maximum 4.99% and approved millions of pounds of spending and cuts, with leaders citing significant financial challenges.Labour has promised £2bn of funding for English councils in the year from April 2025, an extra £700m on top of the £1.3bn announced in October's Budget.
Dudley
Conservative-run Dudley Council approved £42m of savings as part of its five-year strategy.The increase means an average band D house will pay £1.94 extra per week.The council will close one of its three dementia hubs, the Crystal Gateway, to save £500,000 per year. Green waste fees will also increase from £36 to £52.However, the Sycamore Adventure Centre in Upper Gornal was saved from the cuts after being under threat."It has been a tough time for all councils in the UK, we are all overspending on adult social care and children's social care," Conservative leader Patrick Harley said."We have put together a package of measures which will see us through to 2030."
Wolverhampton
The Labour-run council has outlined £40.7m of savings over a three-year period.The council tax rise means a band D household will pay £1.92 extra per week.Councillors approved the closure of shop mobility and a significant reduction in its community events programme.The council will also remove security staff from Wolverhampton and Bilston markets to save £91,000.Leader Stephen Simkins said the authority would crack down on fly tipping and spend an extra £500,000 to help fix potholes and maintain highways.
Sandwell
Labour-run Sandwell Council outlined savings of £19m to balance the 2025/26 budget.Residents will pay an extra £2 per week in council tax in a band D home.The council will look to close the Harry Mitchell Leisure Centre, transfer Hadley Stadium to a third party and develop a new operating model for Tipton Sports Academy.It will also increase charges for meals on wheels, burials and cremation, introduce higher green waste subscription fees and switch to alternate weekly collections of general waste and recycling.Speaking on BBC Radio WM this month, leader Kerrie Carmichael said: "I understand that council tax is a bugbear for most people but we do a lot with it in Sandwell."We've protected our library services, they are really important to us."
Walsall
Conservative-run Walsall Council made almost £30m of savings to set a balanced budget for 2025/26.The council tax increase amounts to an extra £1.99 per week for a band D home.The authority approved cuts to funding for Christmas lights and a 20% increase to bulky waste collection fees.Parking charges will also go up by 20%, which will save the council £70,000.The council scrapped plans to close and relocate the leather museum.Deputy council leader Mark Statham admitted it was not sustainable to keep raising council tax and called for a "fair, multi-year government settlement in future years"."The government must address funding for local authorities to enable councils to meet rising demand, particularly in social care," he said.
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