Council Tax frozen for Mid Suffolk residents but rental fees to rise by up to £9 a week

Mid Suffolk District Council has confirmed a Council Tax freeze for residents and ring-fenced £2m for household energy-saving measures for those most in need.

However, the average weekly social rental fees will be increasing to £6.16 a week and £9.03 for affordable housing.

While other authorities have been forced to put up bills in order to balance their books, Mid Suffolk agreed unanimously to freeze its share of the Council Tax – absorbing rising costs, rather than passing them on to residents.

Mid Suffolk leader Suzie Morley said: “Our residents and communities rely on us to deliver essential services – now more than ever.

“We are not immune to rising costs, but we know that our residents and businesses are feeling the pinch too.

“Thanks to careful and forward-thinking financial management over recent years, we can now protect services without putting up our share of the bills – and still deliver on our pledges. This means we can continue to tackle climate change, support our district’s economic growth as well as caring for our communities and the wellbeing of our residents.”

An amendment by the Green and Liberal Democrat Group, saw councillors also agreeing to ring-fence £2m for energy-saving measures for homes across the district, helping to address the cost-of-living crisis for vulnerable households by reducing energy bills, and tackling the climate change emergency by slashing emissions.

Mid Suffolk Green and Liberal Democrat group leader Andrew Mellen said: “The cost-of-living crisis is having a cataclysmic effect on household budgets, and, at the same time, we have the looming problem of climate change. One way to address both is to invest in energy-saving measures. Reducing energy use at source has the potential to provide multiple benefits: reduced costs for the householder as well as lower requirement for energy production and hence lower emissions.”

The freeze would mean the annual Mid Suffolk proportion of the council tax bill for a Band D property remaining at £171.59.

Mid Suffolk District Council also previously agreed a reduction of up to 100 per cent for residents with the lowest incomes and a simplification of the existing Council Tax Reduction Scheme for residents on Universal Credit.

John Whitehead, cabinet member for Finance for Mid Suffolk District Council, said: “It is testament to the council’s robust financial position and our prudent stewardship of the council’s resources that we are now in the enviable position of being able to protect the services that people rely on, without putting extra burden on our residents – particularly given the economic turbulence we have faced this year.

“What’s more, we have looked beyond the short term, carefully evaluating our budget within the four-year outlook and providing a sustainable financial legacy for next year and beyond.”

Figures show the council’s net cost of delivering services are set to increase by 41 per cent from £8.77m in 2022/23 to £12.41m in 2023/34 as a result of global events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and Putin’s war in Ukraine, plus rising inflation and interest rates.

There is a similar picture with the council’s Housing Revenue Account, with a 40 per cent increase to cost of services. This saw councillors agree a seven per cent increase in rents for council housing to try to keep pace and to ensure the necessary investment in repairs and maintenance across the council’s social housing stock.

This means average weekly social rent increasing by £6.16 a week from £87.99 to £94.15.  For affordable housing, weekly rents would increase by £9.03 from £126.96 to £137.99.  The changes to council tax and rents will take affect from April 1.