CEREDIGION rate payers will see their council tax bills rise by 7.3 per cent after the county's budget was approved in a council meeting today, March 2.

The budget for 2023-2024 has been set at £180.1m, against a backdrop of a £12m shortfall between the additional funding provided by Welsh Government and the £22m of services cost pressures.

For a typical Band D property, this 7.3 per cent increase will mean just over an extra £105 a year for the main part of the council tax bill.

Of the total increase, six per cent relates to core council services and 1.3 per cent is to fund an increase in the Mid & West Wales Fire Authority levy.

Councillor Bryan Davies, leader of Ceredigion County Council, said: “The cost pressures we face are generally not unique to Ceredigion and reflect the current economic climate.

“The budget has been set for 2023-2024 with the aim of protecting services and avoiding cuts as much as possible and the council tax increase has been kept well below the current rate of inflation in recognition of the challenges that everyone is facing with the cost of living.

“We have already made significant savings over recent years, and we will continue to look at ways of doing things differently. Our priority will always be on delivering high quality services for people in Ceredigion and ensuring that they meet external regulator satisfaction.”

In addition to approving the budget, the council also approved the overall levels of council tax for 2023-2024 for each ward and each council tax Band, which includes the precepts set by local town and community councils and Dyfed Powys Police.

The average overall council tax increase is 7.4 per cent once these precepts are included.

The rise will see the average total bill topping £1,900, up from £1,777.27 last year, a report for members of the March meeting said.

Aberystwyth tops the list at £2,008.23, while rates include: Aberaeron £1,922.25, Cardigan £1,912.58, Lampeter £1,905.09 New Quay £1,889.50, Tregaron £1,906.97, Aberporth £1,902.66, Llandysul £1,904.08, with Nantcwnlle one of the lowest at £1,872.06.

Ceredigion is expected to set the second-highest council tax rate in mid and west Wales, with neighbouring Pembrokeshire backing a 7.5 per cent increase despite a late counter-proposal for a 5.5 per cent rise.

Carmarthenshire’s council tax is expected to increase by 6.8 per cent this year, subject to finalisation, while Powys supported a five per cent rise.