At an Ashby Town Council meeting held last night (12 January), councillors agreed on their stance on Leicestershire County Council's plans to increase council tax.  

Leicestershire County Council has published their initial budget proposals, allowing residents, businesses and stakeholders to give their opinion on the budget before it moves to the next stage. 

The survey, which closes on 18 January, includes proposal for a 2.99% increase on council tax. 

Leader of Ashby Town Council, Cllr Chris Smith said at the ATC meeting: 'Despite promising to reduce council tax at the elections only 8 months ago, the County Council is planning to increase council tax and has no clear plan on how to close to budget gap. 

'Only the very optimistic would assume that the external Efficiency Review, commissioned very late in the day, is going to significantly help with the dire financial position they find themselves in.' 

The town council's official response to the budget is as follows: 

'Considerable emphasis is placed on an external Efficiency Review, not commissioned until the end of October, to close the budget gap, although it is recognised that this will be too late to close the budget gap in 2026/27. Whilst it is stated that the Efficiency Review is making good progress, there is no detail on what savings will be delivered beyond those already identified by the Council. 

'The continuing reductions in key services over many years will have had a severe impact on the residents of Ashby de la Zouch and Blackfordby. It is disappointing to see a further year of cuts to Children & Family Services and Adult Social Care (£14m in 2026/27). 

'We repeat previous concerns raised in response to the last two year's budget consultations. Even when funds are available for improvements, for example footpath connections to the new Money Hill development in Ashby, the county council struggles to engage in a timely and effective way to make most use of the funding.

'Where parking in the road (e.g. top of Market Street and Station Road) or road crossings (e.g. bottom of South Street and Kilwardby Street, and Brook Street) are clearly causing congestion or has the potential to be dangerous, the response to representations from the Town Council is all too often "an accident hasn't happened yet". A similar lack of engagement to resolve the new roundabout layout on the A511 is frustrating. 

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READ MORE: Time is running out to comment on Leicestershire County Council's budget proposals, including 2.99% council tax rise

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