Bolsover District Council is set to increase its council tax share by 2.99per cent and tenants’ rent by 2.7per cent

Bolsover District Council aims to increase its part of residents’ council tax bills by 2.99per cent and to increase council tenants’ rent by 2.7per cent as part of its budget plans for the 2025-26 financial year.
The Labour-controlled council’s Resource portfolio holder, Cllr Clive Moesby, told a council meeting on January 29 the 2024-25 financial year had shown a balanced budget with neither a surplus or a deficit but an amount of £0.177m would have to be added to the general fund budget for 2024-25 to ensure the General Fund remains balanced.
Cllr Moesby said there may be further costs and or savings identified as the 2024-25 year runs out and any surplus on the council’s two main revenue accounts will be transferred to reserves in preparation for future expenditure at a time of financial uncertainty in Local Government.
A council spokesperson stated: “The financial projection for 2025-26 to 2027-28 was approved by members in January, 2024.
“The 2024-25 budget process has updated those projections and established a base for 2028-29.
“The proposed budget for 2025-26 is balanced with a small transfer from the National Non-Domestic Rates Growth Protection Reserve of £0.049m.”
And as part of Bolsover District Council’s latest budget plans for the forthcoming 2025-26 financial year, from April 1, a council tax increase of 2.99per cent has been approved to be levied for the authority’s part of the bill which would be equivalent to £6.07 for a notional Band D property.
The council’s latest report stated the Government assumes the council will increase its part of the council tax by the maximum allowed and for 2025-26 district councils have been permitted to increase their share – with an expectation to do so – by the greater of either 3per cent or £5 to avoid a referendum.
Bolsover District Council’s approved council tax increase for its part of the 2025-26 bill, at 2.99per cent, aims to generate £141,672 of additional revenue, according to the report.
In January 2024, councillors also set housing rent levels in line with Government regulations with an increase of 7.7per cent along with Housing Revenue Account fees and charges as part of the budget for 2024-25.
Its proposed budget for 2025-26 has shown to be balanced due to the use of £0.460m of HRA reserves and it expects the position for 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 will be a similar and improving one with years to be balanced with the use of HRA reserves including £0.150m for 2026-27 and £0.025m for 2027-28.
Bolsover District Council subsequently aims to increase its rent levels for the 2025-26 financial year by 2.7per cent to be applied from April 1.
The 2.7per cent increase means a weekly increase of £2.50 and an annual increase of £130 on average for social rent, and a £3.49 weekly increase and a £181.48 annual increase on average for affordable rent.
Bolsover District Council’s budget for 2025-26 is balanced, according to the council’s latest report, with a small necessary transfer from the National Non-Domestic Rates Growth Protection Reserve of £0.049m.
The council stated in its report that when compared to the estimates it made for its 2025-26 position in January 2024, the provisional figures given for this year mean for 2025-26 it will be £0.155m better off.
Government provisional funding settlements for 2025-26 means the average increase for district councils was just 0.3per cent, according to the council, and therefore a council tax increase is required.
The council report also noted the abolition of New Homes Bonus, the review of Business Rates and the baseline reset of Business Rates were all detrimental to the local authority.
Bolsover District Council will also be able to use the NNDR Growth Protection Reserve to even out the Government funding losses over the life of the current Medium Term Financial Plan.
The council report stated that no changes have been made to the financial plans in light of the Government’s recent English Devolution White Paper proposals which may see the introduction of one singular unitary authority in county areas like Derbyshire with the merger of county, district and borough councils into one super council.
Opposition Independent Cllr Deborah Watson said: “I cannot support any rise in council tax that takes us up to 2028-29 because one thing we do know is that Bolsover [District] Council won’t exist then.”
But Cllr Moesby told the meeting the council has a statutory duty to increase its part of the council tax and that he did not think it would be great financial management if the council failed to do so.
He said: “We have a statutory duty to increase this. I do not think it will be great financial management if we do not increase this.
“We do not quite know what the outcome of what this reform will be and it would be remiss of me not to take this into consideration.”
Council officers considered staff budgets, interest rates, inflation, planning fees, an increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, and fees and charges in developing financial projections for 2025-26 to 2028-29.
But the council’s report stated that due to uncertainty surrounding local authority income and the fact the council has reduced budgets to a minimal level, it is important that it continues to review whether it has an acceptable General Fund Working Balance.
Bolsover District Council formally approved by a majority vote the current remaining budget for 2024-25 and the proposed budget 2025-26, for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account and Capital Programme as part of the council’s Medium Term Financial Plan covering the years 2024-25 to 2028/29.
It also formally approved its part of the council tax bill to be increased by 2.99per cent which would be £6.07 for a notional Band D property for 2025-26, and that the council increases its rent levels by 2.7per cent with both to apply from April 1.