NEW Forest District Council (NFDC) set a 10p per week rise in its share of the council tax.

The NFDC element of council tax was set at £173.36 for an average band D property, an increase of £5 or 2.97 per cent on last year.

This represents 9.8 per cent of the total council tax bill for an average band D property.

Council Leader councillor Barry Rickman said: “We think long and hard before raising our element of council tax, but an increase is necessary to ensure that we can carry on providing local servicessuch as refuse collection, recycling, planning, environmental health, street cleaning and homelessness prevention. The rise in the District Council’s part of householders’ council tax bills of less than 10p per week for a band D property continues to meet our aim of providing quality, value for money services for the community at a fair and reasonable cost.”

Total council tax for an average band D property in the New Forest has been set at £1,765.32 per annum, an increase of 4.22 per cent from 2018/19.

The total amount is all collected by New Forest District Council, who then split it between the following organisations:

Hampshire County Council 1,149.77 65.1 per cent

Hampshire County Council Adult Social Care Precept 87.10 4.9 per cent

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service 67.71 3.9 per cent

New Forest District Council 173.36 9.8 per cent

Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire 201.46 11.4 per cent

Town/Parish Councils (Average) 85.92 4.9 per cent

For more information go to newforest.gov.uk/counciltax