RESIDENTS will pay more tax to Gloucestershire County Council this year after a £567 million budget was approved last week. 

The budget will raise around £13.6 million to help fund services through a Council Tax increase of 2.99 per cent.

The council will also apply the national social care precept at two per cent to raise an additional £7.4 million to support vulnerable adults.

Based on a band D property, this equates to a £6.04 monthly increase.

The Forest is in line to benefit from investment in the fire and rescue service, schools and libraries, along with a flood alleviation scheme in Coleford.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Our ambitious plans to deliver for you in 2023/24 will see the council’s spending reach £567 million, an increase of almost £46 million on 2022/23 levels.

“Like most households, we have challenged ourselves on how we can be more efficient to make the money go further for the year ahead and we have already identified £32 million of savings.

“The agreed budget will raise £13.6 million to help fund services through a council tax increase of 2.99 per cent, and £7.4 million to support the most vulnerable adults in the county through a two per cent increase of the adult social care precept.

“We know this comes at a time when every household’s purse is being squeezed. It is not a decision we have taken lightly, but to go on delivering for every resident in Gloucestershire, it is a necessary one.”