Council happy with tax rise

Councillors have welcomed the new council tax levels in Oswestry - despite residents facing a bigger rise than the borough council has imposed.
People living in band D properties face a 4.4 per cent increase on their total bill.

This is despite the borough putting up its portion of the tax by just three per cent and inflation currently standing at 2.7 per cent.

Members of Oswestry Borough Council voted unanimously to endorse its council tax level at last night’s meeting.

Band D council tax payers will now face average total bills of £1,439 from April.

Oswestry Borough Council has imposed a three per cent increase, but the other authorities that make up the overall charge have increases ranging from 3.9-4.8 per cent.

Last week Shropshire County Council endorsed its 4.7 per cent increase. It has the largest portion of the bill - £975.66 for a band D payer.

Other sections of the council tax include the police and fire authorities.

Individual council tax bills across the borough also vary depending on which town on parish residents live in and how much precept they are raising on the council tax.

For example, people living in band D homes in Kinnerley will pay £213 combined borough and parish council tax, while those living in Knockin and Gobowen and Selattyn will pay £238.

Although the Band D figures are taken as a national average, in Oswestry most householders are in cheaper, A and B council tax banding.