Residents in Essex are bracing for a council tax hike of £65 on average, along with rising parking fees across the area.
Basildon: Some folks in Essex are about to see their council tax bills go up. The local council is planning to raise it by about three percent. For a typical band D property, that means an extra £65 a year. Ouch!
But that’s not all. Parking charges at council-owned car parks are also going up. If you park short-term from Monday to Friday, expect an average increase of 9.2 percent. For example, at Billericay High Street Car Park, the cost for an hour will jump from £1 to £1.10. Not a huge leap, but it adds up.
Long-term parking isn’t escaping the hike either. At Radford Crescent in Billericay, the price will rise from £8 to £8.40. And if you’re a commuter, season ticket prices are going up too. For annual tickets at Billericay High Street, it’ll go from £1,055.65 to £1,108.45. That’s a hefty increase!
Even the cost to hire council facilities is set to rise. At the George Hurd Centre in Basildon, the main hall rental will increase from £25.15 to £26.45. It seems like everything is getting pricier.
Gavin Callaghan, the council’s Labour leader, shared his thoughts on this. He mentioned that raising taxes isn’t something he enjoys doing. He feels local government finance is broken, largely due to past government decisions. It’s a tough spot for them, and taxpayers are feeling the pinch.
