1.99% council tax increase proposed

Sum would mix with savings to plug £1.75m funding gap

- Phil Corrigan

COUNCIL leaders are proposing a 1.99 per cent tax rise to help plug a £1.75 million budget gap.

Newcastle Borough Council's draft budget for 2026/27 includes the below-inflation increase to council tax along with various savings proposals.

The tax hike would see the borough council's annual charge for a Band A property go up by £2.96 to £151.65, while a Band D would increase by £4.44 to £227.48.

Only a small proportion of the council tax Newcastle residents pay goes to the borough council, with the lion's share going to Staffordshire County Council, which sets its charges separately.

The borough council is predicting a £1.75 million budget gap in 2026/26 owing to funding pressures.