Tax rise is agreed to protect service

HIKE IN FIRE CHARGE AS £1M EXTRA IN FUNDING WELCOMED

- By DANIEL HOLLAND

A COUNCIL tax rise to protect Tyne and Wear's fire service has been signed off, despite an 11th hour financial reprieve from the Government.

The portion of council tax bills in Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, North Tyneside, and South Tyneside which goes to the county's fire service will increase by 4.99% from April.

Councillors voted on Thursday morning to agree to the uplift, which is in line with the maximum permitted rise of £5 for a band D property.

Members of the Tyne and Wear fire authority were told at a meeting in Washington that a revised funding settlement from the Government would give the service £1 million more for 2026/27 than had been expected, after complaints that original proposals disadvantaged the North East.