HOUSEHOLDS in Droitwich will see an average of a five pence rise per week in the district council’s portion of their council tax bill after Wychavon District Council announced it would be increasing its section of the precept by 1.94 per cent.

Average value (band D) properties in the district will now be paying £2.13 a week for the district council’s section of the bill, compared to £2.08 last year.

The rise is the first the council has made for four years.

Councillor Bob Banks, board member for resources at Wychavon District Council, said: “Despite a 42 per cent reduction in our funding from government up until 2014/15, and the fact that we will face a £4 million shortfall in funding over the coming four years, we’ve added just five pence a week to our part of the council tax bill.

“We’ve introduced our Grow, Save, Charge plan, an innovative way to tackle the financial challenges ahead without placing all of the burden on residents or simply cutting services. Our portion of council tax, just eight per cent of the total bill, plays a vital part in helping us deliver good quality services that people now expect. Recent resident feedback showed that satisfaction with the way we run things was 72 per cent and we want to keep this figure high.”

“We have once again set ourselves some ambitious priorities for the coming year, be it supporting local businesses or the future development of Worcester Technology Park and Vale Park, to helping deliver 500 affordable homes and offering over £160,000 of New Homes Bonus money to parish and town councils to benefit communities. The revenue we get through the council tax is crucial in helping us carry out the work we do.”

Wychavon District Council’s bill represents eight per cent of the overall precept, along with bills from Worcestershire County Council, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Authority, the parish council, and the office of the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner.

For more information on how the overall council tax bill is made up, visit wychavon.gov.uk/ctbill, call 01386 565000 or write to cts@wychavon.gov.uk.