SURREY County Council says it is planning a rise in council tax to 2.99% for its budget plans for 2023/24.

The council’s cabinet agreed a draft budget today, and outlined the planned rise, which the authority says is lower than the vast majority of other councils in the UK as well as lower than the rate of inflation.

“This budget is about protecting the services that the people of Surrey rely on, while being mindful of the huge pressures household budgets are under at the moment,” said Tim Oliver, leader of the council.

“The rise in the cost of living, inflation and interest rates have all impacted the council as an organisation, as well as our residents. Everything we do has simply become more expensive to deliver.”

Surrey County Council spends just over £1bn a year on delivering services such as adult social care, children’s services, maintaining roads and pavements, Surrey Fire & Rescue Service, libraries, countryside management and public health.

“However, we have worked hard over the last five years to ensure our finances are in a solid and stable state,” said Mr Oliver. “We think it is important to only levy the absolute minimum we need to meet increased costs, in order to protect the money in people’s pockets as much as possible.

“We are making the decision to face this financial challenge in the fairest way possible, balancing our needs and ambitions with the immediate cost of living impact on our residents.”

The budget will go before a Full Council meeting on Tuesday 7 February to be ratified.

The SCC precept forms the largest portion of each council tax bill. Other amounts have to be set by Woking Borough Council and Surrey’s police and crime commissioner, to reach a final figure for next year’s tax bill.