A three per cent council tax increase is proposed for Dorset residents this year.

Dorset Council's budget proposals for the next financial year, 2022-23, could include a 1.998 per cent rise in general council tax and 0.996 per cent rise for social care precept. For a band D property, this equates to £1.02 extra a week.

The budget proposals include more money for:

• Adult social care - a 10 per cent increase, equating to £13 million, taking the total budget to £141 million, to fund social care in the local population and rising costs. Social care services represents 59 per cent of Dorset Council's total net spending

• Children's services - a four per cent increase, equating to £2.7 million, taking the total budget to £74.5 million, to fund improvements to support children in care and children with special educational needs and disabilities

• Climate and ecological emergency response - £10 million capital investment over the next five years to help fund the delivery of the council's action plan

• Housing - and extra £0.75 million to support the development of more new homes with Dorset Council's registered providers and the supply of better value temporary accommodation from the private rented sector

The Government confirmed in December that Dorset Council will receive £10.4 million more than originally anticipated for 2022-23. However, it is a one-year settlement and not the multi-year settlement the council had hoped for.

Dorset Council's cabinet will consider the budget proposals on January 18, which will then be considered and voted on by all Dorset councillors at the full council meeting on February 15.

Councillor Gary Suttle, portfolio holder for finance, commercial and capital strategy, said: "These are responsible and carefully considered budget proposals, designed to ensure the council can continue to deliver vital services to meet the needs of our residents.

"We have robust plans to deliver efficiency and transformation savings so we can balance the council's budget while avoiding cuts to essential frontline services.

"We continue to face an exceptionally difficult period due to the Covid pandemic and growing demand and price pressures. We are grateful to government for the better than anticipated financial settlement for next year, but we really need multi-year settlements so we can plan for the longer term.

"My colleagues and I are lobbying government for fairer funding for Dorset. As a big rural council with a large elderly population, we face higher costs than many other councils. Yet we have been historically under-funded by government. This is something that needs to change so we can reduce the burden on local council taxpayers."

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