BRIDGWATER’S Town Council precept could be set to rise by as much as 40 per cent for 2025/26 if proposals are approved.
It would see a Band D household set to pay £413.05 per year, up from £295.33 in 2024/25. The total precept collected by Bridgwater Town Council will have increased from £912,195 in 2022/23 to a proposed £4,295,401 in 2025/26, representing over £3.3 million in additional contributions from residents.
Bridgwater Town Council is one of many in Somerset that agreed devolved powers with Somerset Council earlier in the year to manage assets and services in the locality.
Such measures mean the town council now has wider responsibilities, including for street-cleaning and road-sweeping to the management of fly-tipping and open spaces.
The increase in the town council precept is on top of a proposed increase in Council Tax rates across the county, which could rise above the 5 per cent cap imposed by central government.
The leader of Somerset Council, Bill Revans, has written to the Local Government Minister to explore the possibility of utilising ‘Bespoke Referendum Principles’, which could give the local authority “permission to go beyond the Government imposed Council Tax cap.”
But Ashley Fox, Conservative MP for Bridgwater, sees the situation differently. He said: “Town councils are being forced to pick up services at a staggering cost to taxpayers. For example, in Bridgwater, Band D council tax has soared from £91.31 in 2022/23 to a projected £413.05 next year.”
A motion seeking a consultation on residents’ views for the proposed increase of over £320 from 2022/2023 was put forward at the latest town council meeting on Thursday, December 12, 2024 by Conservative Councillors.
Town councillors Diogo Rodrigues and Rachael Lilley proposed that Bridgwater Town Council “conduct a formal consultation/engagement exercise with residents to gather their feedback on the proposed Council Tax increase.”
Councillor Diogo Rodrigues said, "During the 2024/25 budget-setting meeting, the Conservative group highlighted the importance of engaging with the community before deciding on such significant changes. Unfortunately, this advice was not heeded, and the council pressed ahead without thorough consultation. This year, we had an opportunity to do things differently."
He added, "At a time when people are already grappling with skyrocketing energy bills, rising food prices, and even the loss of the Winter Fuel Allowance, this additional burden feels deeply unfair to me. Bridgwater residents should not have to shoulder one of the highest council tax rates in Somerset without a say in the matter."
The motion was ultimately voted down by the leading Labour Group.
