Hyndburn council tax frozen – but overall bills set to rise

Hyndburn Council has confirmed it will freeze its portion of the council tax for the year from April 1 after its ruling Labour group voted down a Conservative proposal to cut it by 2.99 per cent instead.

The decision by the authority’s budget meeting on Thursday night means that its annual charge to residents for 2026/27 will be pegged at £276.46 for a typical Band D semi-detached family home.

The council tax for Band A and Band B terraced homes – the majority of properties in Hyndburn borough – remains at £184.31 and £215.02 respectively.

Reform UK-run Lancashire County Council on Thursday also confirmed its council tax precept for key services including education, adult services and highways will increase by 3.8 per cent.

Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw has proposed an increase to the police precept for a Band D property of £15, and the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority has proposed a £5 increase.

These precepts are added to the council tax bills of Hyndburn residents.

This means that the overall annual bill for all local government services to Hyndburn residents will rise by £57.31 to £1,643.56 for Band A homes, by £66.85 to £1,917.48 for Band B households and by £85.96 to £2,665.34 for those in Band D.

The additional Altham Parish Council precept for its services in its area will remain at £29.55 for Band A, £34.38 for Band B and £44.33 for Band D.

The three-hour meeting at Accrington Town Hall voted to confirm last week’s cabinet decision to freeze the borough’s portion of council tax rather than, as originally proposed, increase it by 2.99 per cent, at an estimated cost of £375,000 over the two years before the authority is expected to be abolished under Lancashire devolution-related local government reorganisation.

It also added to the council’s budget £150,000 over two years for business growth and support, £175,000 in 2026/27 for sports development initiatives, £100,000 in 2026/27 for culture, heritage and arts, £100,000 over two years to top up support for households in need, and £100,000 for works to Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre.

But the Conservative group proposed a budget amendment to reduce the council tax by 2.99 per cent using the authority’s cash reserves.

Their leader Cllr Zak Khan said: “This approach returns funds directly to residents who contributed to them and ensures reserves are used locally rather than transferred unnecessarily into the new unitary authority.”

The Tories also called for an additional parks officer, an additional waste enforcement officer, a new members’ community benefit fund of £175,000, an increase in the parks and environmental budgets of £250,000, a further £200,000 addition to the Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre restoration budget, a new £250,000 economic regeneration fund and a £350,000 budget to enhance the gateways to Hyndburn.

Borough finance boss Cllr Vanessa Alexander told Cllr Khan: “You are talking about blowing every penny that Hyndburn has.”

Council leader Cllr Munsif Dad said: “This budget is more than a set of numbers. It is a statement of confidence in Hyndburn’s future built on regeneration, community pride and the delivery of major long-term investments.”

Cllr Khan hit back that the budget – especially the council tax freeze – was a desperate attempt by “last-ditch Dad” for Labour to hang on to control of the borough at May’s re-instated local elections.