(UK) Lutterworth: Taxes going up; $85M SPED deficit by 2026 projected

Feb 25, 2022, Rugby Observer: Lutterworth residents hit with £57 [$76] Council Tax hike https://www.rugbyobserver.co.uk/news/lutterworth-residents-hit-with-57-council-tax-hike/

Midlands

LUTTERWORTH residents will have to pay an average £57 extra on their annual Council Tax bill. Harborough District Council has announced it will raise its share of the tax by £5 for an average Band D home – the maximum allowed by government. Leicestershire County Council has agreed a £42 rise, and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will raise its share by a further £10. Harborough District Council (HDC) said it would invest in frontline services despite facing ‘significant financial challenges’, after a review of its services last year to try and ease an annual shortfall of £4million [$5.4M] fell £900,000 [$1.2M] short of the target. And its funding from Government has dried up since the Revenue Support Grant – which provided HDC with over £2.3million in 2013-14 – was phased out in 2019-20…. Council deputy leader and finance spokesperson Coun James Hallam said: “We continue to face financial pressures and, despite an increase in our share of the Council Tax bill, we believe this still represents excellent value for money…. Leicestershire County Council (LCC) said the hike in its share of Council Tax would help fill a budget gap of £39million [$52M] , and fund services including children’s social care, public health, transport, education, planning, road maintenance, libraries, waste management and trading standards…. “Our proposed budget will balance the books next year but we still face a gap between our income and what we will need to spend of £39million by 2026.”… LCC added there was ‘considerable’ pressure on the council to fund both children’s and adult social care in the face of rising demand in the number of vulnerable older and young people who need looking after – and with overall social care costs expected to rise by £88million [$11.8M] over the next four years. There is also deficit of £63million [$85M] predicted by 2026 in paying for the education of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)….