Council tax in Peterborough to rise by 5%

The Conservative-run city council will formally announce the increase - which is the maximum allowed without needing to call a local referendum - later this week when it reveals its final set of budget proposals for 2021/22.

The figure includes a three per cent rise in the precept for adult social care.

Cllr David Seaton, cabinet member for finance, said if council tax rates in Peterborough matched those of other cities then the local authority would be £7 million richer every year.

Council tax has risen sharply in recent years due to public services seeing large cuts to their government funding.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority has proposed a two per cent increase to the fire service’s proportion of council tax for 2021/22, while the policing precept is also set to rise again.

Cambridgeshire County Council is set to increase its share of council tax by 1.99 per cent and add on a social care precept of one per cent.

The five per cent rise in Peterborough, if voted through by councillors, would follow news this week that the council has been allowed by the Government to borrow £20 million in a one-off arrangement to help balance its budget after its finances were hit by the coronavirus pandemic.