East Lothian Council is the primary native authority in Scotland to approve a double-digit council tax enhance.
The SNP authorities’s flagship freeze on the levy involves an finish in April.
East Lothian Council chief Norman Hampshire mentioned the ten% rise was needed to keep up important companies to guard susceptible residents and to offer youngsters the very best begin in life.
The Labour-led administration obtained cross-party help – 17 votes in favour and 4 in opposition to – to move its 2025-26 finances on Tuesday.
The native authority mentioned it was developed in mild of monetary pressures it’s dealing with amid the area’s rising inhabitants, wider financial challenges, and “increasing national policy expectations”.
Councillor Hampshire mentioned: “Our financial situation means it has been necessary to set a council tax increase of 10%.
“East Lothian’s development continues to place stress on all components of the council.
“It is vital that we can sustain essential services to protect our most vulnerable residents and invest in education to give all children the best start in life.”
East Lothian council tax will increase:
• Band A (£957.08 2024-25 price): £1.84 weekly enhance, £7.98 month-to-month• Band B (£1,116.59 2024-25 price): £2.15 weekly enhance, £9.31 month-to-month• Band C (£1,276.10 2024-25 price): £2.45 weekly enhance, £10.63 month-to-month• Band D (£1,435.62 2024-25 price): £2.76 weekly enhance, £11.96 month-to-month• Band E (£1,886.24 2024-25 price): £3.63 weekly enhance, £15.72 month-to-month• Band F (£2,332.88 2024-25 price): £4.49 weekly enhance, £19.44 month-to-month• Band G (£2,811.42 2024-25 price): £5.41 weekly enhance, £23.43 month-to-month• Band H (£3,517.26 2024-25 price): £6.76 weekly enhance, £29.31 month-to-month
Hire may even enhance by 6.5%, with councillors moreover approving plans to take a position greater than £211m in infrastructure over the following 5 years.
The roads division will obtain an uplift of £1m, whereas a further £1m shall be funnelled into modernising council homes.
Picture:
Finance secretary Shona Robison revealing Scotland’s draft finances for 2025-26. Pic: PA
The Scottish authorities’s flagship council tax freeze was dropped for the nation’s draft 2025-26 finances.
Finance secretary Shona Robison as a substitute pledged to extend native authority funding by greater than £1bn, taking the whole quantity to greater than £15bn.
Whereas accepting it’s as much as the 32 native authorities to make their very own selections what to do with the cash, she mentioned there ought to be “no reason for big increases” in council tax charges.
