News

Lower than expected 1.94 per cent council tax increase for Newark after Tory amendment

By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter

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Newark and Sherwood District Council has approved a 1.94 per cent increase in its part of council tax for all households.

The authority met yesterday (March 6) in a full council meeting to discuss its budget for the 2025 to 2026 financial year, which starts in April.

The original budget proposed a 2.99 per cent increase in council tax, but this was reduced by a last-minute amendment.

The council tax charge for Band D properties in the current financial year is £194.82- a 2.99 per cent increase would have seen an extra £5.83 to be paid by residents from April.

However, councillors heard a budget amendment read out by Conservative Cllr Jack Kellas, which proposed that council tax to only be increased by 1.94 per cent instead.

This instead will lead to an increase of about £3.84 paid a year by those living in a Band D property.

However, 73 per cent of properties in Newark and Sherwood area are in bands A to C, and the increase for these properties will be less than £3.84 per year.

The council is run by a coalition because no single party currently holds a majority.

Leader of the council, Cllr Paul Peacock (Lab), said: “[The 1.94 per cent increase] is absolutely reasonable for one reason only- local government reorganisation has put less pressure on our medium-term financial plan.

“Our plan up until 2028 to 2029 is left with £3.5 million in the reserve, reverting back to 1.94 per cent will knock it down to about £2.6 million- that is still a very good financial position.”

The lesser council tax increase would also see a reduction in funding from council tax of £370,914 over the next four financial years, which is proposed to be funded by the council’s reserves.

Part of the Conservative amendment to the budget included reallocating £45,000 designated to go to a ‘Motion for the Ocean’- a campaign that aims to protect waterways and the ocean in the fight against climate change and pollution.

This sum would fund a touring theatre that would promote the cause across the district’s primary schools.

The Tories wanted to take £39,000 of this and create a ‘Members Ward Fund’ for 2025/26 which would see individual members be given £1,000 to support charities or community groups in their wards.

The other £6,000 was proposed to go towards further tree planting schemes in the district.

Cllr Kellas said: “By giving each member a pot to help support those groups that help support their communities, it’s the fairest way to ensure we get money in every corner, every parish.

Cllr Paul Taylor (Lab) said: “Do we want to have a pot of £1,000 each to give whoever we want or do we want to help protect areas that are subject to flooding?

“The flooding resilience fund is almost empty because of the two serious events we’ve had and we need to replenish it to help the parish councils when they need aqua sacks.”

Cllr Matthew Spoors (Green) said: “We are all culpable of what’s going on, as adults we should take a long look at our actions and stop making excuses for the damage we’ve done to the environment.

“Children learn differently to adults… their brains are more sensitive as they are young and that allows their environmental education to shape their attitudes and behaviours differently than if you wait until they’re adults.”

Cllr Simon Haynes (Con) said: “You haven’t put this into the budget, we’re looking at our amendment, but you’ve never put it into the budget so if it was that important why didn’t it originally go into the budget?

“I’m a little bit confused about this depleted [flood defence] fund because I’ve just had it confirmed from the finance officers that we’ve got £120,000 in a fund for flooding- where’s that money depleted from?”

Cllr Emma Oldham (Green) said: “This £45,000 only makes up 0.002 per cent of the entire budget.

“The ‘community grant scheme’ will put money in every corner- so will this. This is reaching every single primary school child in every single corner of the district, 46 schools.”

Councillors voted on the Tory amendment in two sections, with 30 councillors voting for the 1.94 per cent increase in council tax, with two against and three abstentions.

The amendment regarding the allocation of the £45,000 funding was struck down with 22 votes against and 13 votes for.