HEREFORDSHIRE households’ council tax bills from next month have been set after councillors unanimously backed across-the-board rises, that will see a typical Band D household pay nearly £100 more.

They had already agreed last month that the main chunk of council tax, which goes to the county council, would rise by the maximum 4.99 per cent, or by £89.15 for a typical band D property.

But the final amount householders will be charged also includes precepts, funding services provided by parish and town councils and by police and fire services.

These were passed at a full meeting of councillors this morning (March 8), with no dissenting voices.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia had set its increase at 4.91% across the counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire, putting its precept at £277.50 for band D.

Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority had meanwhile set an increase of 2.99%, to £97.22 at band D.

Across Herefordshire a typical band D property will pay £1,954.79 for 2024/25, or £162.90 a month, including an average annual parish precept of £79.03.

But the approved local precepts vary across the county, from just £2.22 for the Aconbury “parish meeting” south of Hereford, to £190.25 in Leominster, up 4.7 per cent.

Hereford city earlier voted to hold its precept at £56.86, and 50 of the county’s 140 parishes will cut theirs. But the biggest rise will be at Richard’s Castle, up 64% to £115.94.

A much bigger factor in how much you pay is the valuation band of your property.

For Hereford, this can range from £1,288.42 plus police and fire precepts for band A (valued at under £40,000 in 1991), to £1,932.62 for the “typical” band D, up to £3,865.24 for a band H property.

The final bill represents a rise of 4.8% for a typical Band D bill on 2023/24, up £90.12 from £1,862.50, which was in itself a rise of £87 on the previous year.

The largest bill in the county will be for a band H house in Leominster, which will pay £4,132.02 plus emergency service precepts.