Darlington council tax bills to rise by 4.99% in 2025
Plans to increase the charge were approved by Darlington Borough Council on Thursday despite claims it will add increased pressure on struggling residents.
Darlington Borough Council’s 2025/26 budget will see the authority make savings worth £4 million to raise much-needed funds, including increased town centre car parking charges and the ending of a £50,000 council funding programme for communities.
Council leaders defended the decisions despite criticism and said the authority is on track to make savings worth £25 million while protecting key services.
Speaking after a full council meeting on Thursday, Council Leader Stephen Harker said: “The budget we’ve approved is a key milestone in Darlington Labour and Lib Dems approach to fixing the council’s finances.”
The ruling Labour-Liberal Democrat administration claims the Conservatives left a financial “blackhole” by setting a budget that would overspend by £7.5 million per year. Spiralling increases in cost and demand for Adult and Children’s Social Care and homelessness services have also impacted the council’s financial future.
Cllr Harker added: “The Conservatives are calling for more spending when we are still fixing the financial blackhole they left us with; a plan that would have seen the council going bankrupt next year. This is fantasy land, Liz Truss-style economics.”
The council’s funding will increase in 2025/26 thanks to a funding settlement from the government. But despite the boost, Town Hall officials say the council continues to face significant and unparalleled financial challenges stemming from reductions in public spending between 2010 and 2019 where its budget was reduced by £46 million.
Conservative councillors claimed the local Labour Party had failed to fulfil its manifesto commitments of freezing council tax and easing the cost of living crisis. Tory councillors held up critical placards of the current Labour council and government throughout the meeting.
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Jonathan Dulston, Conservative Leader, said: “The council’s finances are better than anticipated but the taxpayer will not see any benefit whatsoever from that funding. It’s clear to me you have zero plan to fulfil your manifesto commitment and are passing on the burden to the taxpayer to have a balanced budget. This is another example of the Labour Party turning its back on the public and failing to meet a promise.”
However, Labour councillor Mandy Porter, cabinet member for resources, shot back and said the Conservatives also increased council tax while in charge of the local authority.
Darlington currently has the second lowest council tax in the North East and cannot raise sufficient income from charges alone, the council said.