THE views of local residents on the county council’s budget proposals for 2023/24 are being sought, including a Council Tax increase of 2.99 per cent. 

The council announced details of its proposals on Thursday, December 8 and is giving locals the chance to have their say in a consultation, which runs until January 5.

The budget would see £13.4 million raised to fund services such as infrastructure, social care and education through the Council Tax increase, as well as £7.4 million specifically to support work with vulnerable adults through a further 2 per cent increase in the adult social care precept.

Based on a band D property, residents would pay an additional £6.04 each month.

Leader of the council Cllr Mark Hawthorne says the proposed increase is not something the council is taking “lightly”, with many  struggling to cope with the rising cost of living.

But the council says its ”ambitious” proposals mean it would still have one of the lowest council tax levels of any county council in the country.

“We are ambitious when it comes to our plans for the county", Cllr Hawthorne said.

"By 2026 we will have invested more than £1 billion in new and improved school facilities, major highways schemes, improved library facilities and a range of other schemes and projects.

"We are also investing an additional £41 million towards protecting the most vulnerable children and adults in Gloucestershire.  

“All of this ambition, of course, needs to be funded. We, like households across the county have had to challenge ourselves to be more efficient and have identified £33 million of savings for next year.

“We know proposed Council Tax increase comes at a time where we are all having to make our money go further and is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it is a necessary one.

“We want to know what you think about these plans. Please take a few minutes to complete our short survey so that we can listen to your thoughts before finalising the budget.”

Full details of the budget, along with a short survey on the proposals, can be found at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/budget2023-24.