Council tax rise approved

Residents in Dudley borough will continue to pay the lowest in the region for their council tax bills, despite a 4.99 per cent rise.

Dudley Council has approved the increase, which includes two per cent for services for older and vulnerable people.

The rise for the Dudley element from April 2026 equates to £1.66 per week for a typical band D property, which is comparable to the average cost of a loaf of bread.

To help those most in need, £300,000 has been allocated per year to the discretionary council tax support scheme, replacing the one-off reserve funding used in the 2025/26 budget.

This will provide a more sustainable basis for supporting residents who are facing extreme financial difficulties with their council tax payments.

The council tax increase will help fund around £18 million invested in critical frontline services to protect the most vulnerable in our borough.

There is also nearly £2 million of additional investment for the return of free parking in town centres, pop up tips in the north of the borough, improving safety around schools, more street cleansing as well as support for events led by the Mayor of Dudley.

As part of the budget plans, the Council’s reserves will be boosted to £72.8 million, by April 2031, to put the Council on an even firmer financial footing.

Councillor Steve Clark, cabinet member for finance, said: “Just a couple of years ago the council was facing the real threat of a section 114 and the running of our finances being taken away from us.

“But, while we are not out of the woods yet and there remains much work to do, we are starting to turn the tide and get our finances back on track.

“Delivering this balanced budget will see us investing in critical frontline services to protect the most vulnerable adults and children in our borough.

"Further investment will go into services local people have told us are important to them, such as free parking, street cleansing and a pop-up tip in the north of the borough.

“We are also putting more money into reserves to support our long-term financial stability.

“Increasing council tax is never something we like to do, but with the challenging financial climate we're in, almost every local authority in the country will be having to do exactly as we are doing.

“Despite this increase, our council tax will still be the lowest regionally and continue to offer good value for money services to the people of this borough.”