Council tax row as Gosport residents are set to pay more towards services

As the council presented its budget for 2024/25 to members, which was approved, leader Councillor Peter Chegwyn said it was good for the borough as it would see more investment in heritage buildings and local services. But opposition Councillor Stephen Philpott (Con, Peel Common) likened the leader to a Roman emperor who lived 2,000 years ago. He said:” We have an Emperor of our own. He’s fiddling the figures while Gosport burns.”

Councillor Chegwyn said the budget is investing £1.4 million in services, saving the Criterion, giving more support to the voluntary sector, offering more events, more play areas like splash parks and more culture and sport in the vicinity of Gosport. But it means council tax for 2024/25 will go up by 2.99 per cent – the maximum allowed without a referendum – which is an increase of 11 pence per week for the average band B home.

Around 12 per cent of a home’s council tax bill goes to the borough council, which looks after services like parks, leisure centres and bin collections. The majority goes to Hampshire County Council, where a big cost is adults’ and children’s social care, and the rest to the police and crime commissioner and fire and rescue authority.

The full council meeting on Wednesday, February 7 heard around 50 per cent of Gosport residents pay full council tax and the other half are entitled to some form of discount, exemption or local council tax support.Councillor Philpott said the ruling Lib Dem administration had increased councillors’ allowances by 11.35 per cent over recent years and added: “Irresponsible people awarding themselves responsibility allowances. You couldn’t make it up. I know you have to present a balanced budget but you can’t just make stuff up.”

He also criticised recent increases in car parking charges and the extension of the chargeable hours from 10am to 6pm to 8am to 7pm. The amount the council has earned from car parking fees so far this year has been substantially lower than it estimated and could fall some £114,000 short by April – but it expects to earn more over the coming financial year.

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The council’s medium-term financial strategy document said the knock-on effect of the war in Ukraine, as well as the cost of living crisis and other economic factors, are at play. The council said it also continues to experience a ‘hangover’ from the heightened levels of inflation of the last two years and has seen higher-than-expected demand on council services.

Councillor Chegwyn responded: ”The ten Conservatives (councillors) are anti-everything and they just oppose what we do.” Councillor June Cully (Lab, Harbourside and Town) said: ”We need to pick up on their (the Lib Dems’) ideas, their initiatives and encourage them to get more people from more businesses back here to Gosport.”

She said the council had agreed to replace 34-year-old cremators spreading the cost over the next couple of years. But it means the council will only make £70,000 from cemeteries.