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At a meeting on Tuesday, elected members debated and agreed the budget and council tax levels for 2024/25.
It’s been another incredibly tough year to achieve a balanced budget and we have the perfect storm of financial vulnerability.
Like all councils across the country, we’re facing unprecedented demand for services as well as rising costs and the absence of significant additional funding from central government.
As well as inflationary pressures, we have continued to see more demand for services, particularly in statutory social care services for children and adults, and in-year pressures we’ve had to act on.
Our poor local government grant settlement also means we have £37m less in government grant compared to the average English council.
Looking ahead to the medium term, we now have a revised budget gap of £13.846m for the following four years so more solutions and saving plans will need to be identified.
Work will start quickly to identify the £9m savings we’ll need to make in 2025/6.
Despite this, our priority is to deliver services which protect the most vulnerable people, while ensuring we have an open, fair and green North Somerset - as communities have said this is important to them.
Council tax rise agreed
A council tax increase of 2.99 per cent has been agreed to support our general services, as well as a 2 per cent increase as an adult social care precept.
This equates to a band D property paying £1708.50 for 2024/25, compared with £1,627.38 last year, and will enable us to generate additional income of £6.614m to spend on local services.
The figure relates to our share of the council tax bill only. Your final bill will also include charges for Avon and Somerset Police Authority, Avon Fire and Rescue, and town and parish councils.
We have no control over the level of these charges.
Next year we’ll receive £729 in government funding per household (excluding council tax), compared to the English average of £1,101.
We’re committed to engaging more with local people and getting your views about how savings can be made. We want to find solutions together with our communities.
Council tax bills for 2024/25 will be sent out in March. View and download your latest bill online by signing up to e-billing.
Read the report presented to Full Council and details of the council tax amounts by council tax band and parish on our website.
Need financial help?
Financial help is still available if you’re struggling to afford food, clothing, furniture and energy bills.
- If you need extra help to afford energy and water bills, food, and other essential living needs, you may be eligible for help from the Household Support Fund. You will need to complete an online application form and provide us with some details. To be eligible, you must be a household in North Somerset, experiencing financial hardship and not have enough resources to meet your immediate short-term needs.
- Our Welfare Provision Scheme also gives short-term financial help in a crisis. It covers gas/electricity, food, clothing, white goods, furniture, household equipment, travel and more. The amount of help that can be given will depend on your circumstances and you can apply twice in any 12-month period.
- Find out if you’re entitled to any additional benefits to boost your income.
- Community living rooms remain open in venues across North Somerset as welcoming and warm places for people to come together with others in their community
- Clothes exchanges - recycling clothes is a great way to save the planet and save some pennies. The fashion industry produces a lot of waste, with trends changing quickly and people throwing away old clothes. Recycling clothes gives then a second life, cuts down on the pollution and energy used in making new ones, and keeps old clothes out of landfill. Clothes exchanges currently take place at Princes Hall in Clevedon, Clevedon Methodist Church Hall, and in various locations in Portishead.