Hampshire fire authority agrees to increase council tax

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority met yesterday to discuss their budget and precept for the 2018/19 financial year.

As part of that, their element of council tax will be increased by 2.98 per cent or £65.74 extra a year for Band D properties.

Councillor Chris Carter, chairman of the authority, said: ‘We are in difficult times now. We have got to make sure we have adequate funds going forward.

‘We know the government grant will progressively cut back and the government gave us permission to use the extra one per cent and would expect us to do that.’

The council tax and precept increase would see the fire authority benefit from an extra £41.2m a year.

Uncertainty over future funding has seen the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority increase its council tax element for the first time in five years.