People in Rochdale will see their council tax bills go up from April. But it’s not all bad news.
The council is putting up some cash to give billpayers a little relief. The latest meeting of the full council voted to approve a hike of 4.99 per cent.
A discount funded by the council, means the rise will be 2.99pc in real terms, town hall leader Neil Emmott said.
The council, effectively, has to increase the household bill by the maximum possible each year. It otherwise faces reduced government funding as it sets subsequent budgets.
The town hall is technically putting council tax up by 4.99pc, but covering 2pc with reserves.
Coun Emmott told the meeting that under the recent government fair funding review, Rochdale received additional £4.428m for 2026/27, rising to £7.940m by 2028/29. Extra cash has been used to plug a £2m social care budget gap.
“We have never closed a single library, single community centre or a single Sure Start centre,” Coun Emmott said.
Adult social care is the most expensive council service, with £106.4m budgeted for 2026/27. That’s almost a third of the town hall’s total revenue budget (£360.2m).
Children’s services is the second most costly service, with expenditure of £97.4m budgeted for. The other departments of economy and place, corporate services, and public health are forecasted to cost the local authority £87.1m, £19.2m and 30.4m respectively
The new annual council tax bill, including the anticipated Greater Manchester precepts rises, in Rochdale broken down by tax bands:
- Tax Band A: £1,733.88
- Tax Band B: £2,022.87
- Tax Band C: £2,311.85
- Tax Band D: £2,600.83
- Tax Band E: £3,178.79
- Tax Band F: £3,756.75
- Tax Band G: £4,334.71
- Tax Band H: £5,201.66
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