The average Council Tax bill for a band D dwelling in Herefordshire, will be £1,785.47 for 2018/2019, in Ross-on-Wye it will be £1,838.27.

All the individual precepts set by parish councils across the County, including Ross-on-Wye, have been accepted by Herefordshire Council, as well as those set by the police and the fire service.

Herefordshire Council adopted the total Council Tax precepts for all Herefordshire residents and as the billing authority, Herefordshire Council has a statutory duty to reflect the precepts set by West Mercia Police and Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service in setting the overall Council Tax due from homes across the county.

The Council said that the raised precepts are needed to support the delivery of services across the county.

The average bill for a band D dwelling of £1785.47 includes the council’s own tax charge of £1,443.95 which was approved by Full Council on January 26th, the equivalent of £1.30 a week increase.In Ross-on-Wye the charge for a band A property will be £1225.51, band B will be £1429.77, band C will be £1634.01, band E will be £2246.77, band F will be £2655.29, band G will be £3063.78 and for a band H property it will be £3676.54.

Councillor Jonathan Lester, the new Leader of Herefordshire Council, said: “In the next two years we will no longer receive central government funding. We continue to look at all the ways we can fund our essential services and increasing Council Tax adds £4.6m additional income to the budget. Alongside this we will strive to ensure value for money and efficiency in the services we deliver, such as looking after our children and adults, maintaining our roads and delivering more jobs and housing through our burgeoning local economy.

“The Council Tax and precept rises will allow Herefordshire Council, parish councils, fire and police authorities to continue to deliver their essential services at a local and county level.”