Council tax to rise £103.94 a year to £2,304.60 for average Bishop’s Stortford householder

Householders in Bishop’s Stortford will have to dig deep from April when their council tax rises by 4.7% – up £103.94 to £2,304.60 for a band D property for the year ahead.

The lion’s share of the demand – 76.8% – goes to Hertfordshire County Council to pay for education, social care, transport, highways, waste management, libraries, trading standards, youth provision and the fire and rescue service.

This week, county councillors agreed a budget for 2025-26 of £1.18 billion, increasing their portion of overall council tax bills by 4.99%. From April, band D households will pay the authority £1,769.87.

At the same time, the council will “continue to drive down internal costs” by £42m, with £16m of savings delivered by an ongoing organisational resourcing programme.

The leader of the Conservative authority, Cllr Richard Roberts, said: “It seems the economic outlook for the country deteriorates on a daily basis with increasing inflation, near-stagnant growth and poor economic and consumer confidence hitting both you and the county council hard. That is why we are bearing down on our own costs and making the organisation fit for the future.

“Years of prudent financial planning have put us in a good position, but once again we are going to have to access our reserves and make significant savings to balance the budget.”

Cllr Bob Deering, HCC’s executive member for resources and performance, added: “It has been a real challenge to present a balanced budget for the coming financial year.

“Thanks to our prudent financial planning and the expertise of officers, we have been able to outline our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable who need our help, delivering a fair wage for caring staff, investing in schools and continuing to provide additional investment for services to children with special educational needs and disabilities.”

The cost of policing in Hertfordshire accounts for 11.5% of council tax bills. For 2025-26, the county’s Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, has levied a 5.6% rise to raise an additional £7.38 million. The bill for a band D property will increase by £14 to £265 - the fifth lowest level in England and Wales.

Mr Ash-Edwards said: “The focus of Hertfordshire Constabulary is to reduce crime, catch criminals and keep people safe. This budget will help that work by increasing police officer numbers to a record high and protecting the number of neighbourhood PCSOs.

“The public have told me that this, and visible and responsive policing, is their priority, and 63% of residents who responded to my precept consultation backed the £14 band D increase in the police precept.”

For every £1 paid in council tax, East Herts Council, which is run by the Green Party and Liberal Democrats, receives 8.7p.

On Wednesday night, the authority approved a 2.98% council tax rise, taking the band D precept to £201.04 for 2025-26.

The district council is responsible for refuse and recycling collection, planning, building control, licensing, housing, parking and council tax collection.

As part of next year’s budget, the annual garden waste subscription fee will increase £10 to £59 and car park charges will rise.

Cllr Carl Brittain, EHC’s executive member for financial sustainability, said: “We’ve worked hard to improve efficiency and make the most of our assets, but there is only so much we can achieve through these measures alone.

“As a result, we have had to make difficult decisions to ensure we can continue delivering the services local people rely on most.”

In Bishop’s Stortford, the council tax bill is completed by a town council precept. For a sixth year, the authority has frozen the band D demand at £68.69.

This helps pay for management of the cemetery, allotments, St Michael’s churchyard, open spaces and parks, the splash pool in Castle Park and the Tourist Information Centre.

The Liberal Democrat-run council also administers community centres and minibuses, organises the carnival, the Christmas fayre and Remembrance Sunday, and subsidises South Mill Arts.