BELEAGUERED Somerset Council wants to put up council tax bills this year by a staggering 11 per cent – more than double the rise allowed by the Government.

Last year, the council asked the Government for permission for a more than a 20 per cent rise but was restricted to 7.5 per cent.

Councils are allowed up to a maximum 4.99 per cent council tax rise without having to hold a public referendum seeking approval from residents for a larger icrease.

But Somerset was given special permission in 2025-26 for a larger rise under what are known as ‘exceptional financial support’ (EFS) rules.

Now, the near-bankrupt council is applying for a third successive year for EFS and has asked for up to 5.9 per cent on top of the existing 4.99 per cent limit.

Conservative opposition group leader Cllr Diogo Rodrigues said: “Time and again, Somerset residents are being asked to pay the price for this council’s failures.

“While declaring a financial emergency, the Liberal Democrats have spent over £33 million on agency staff while cutting 555 job posts, are splashing £20 million on consultants to tell them how to save money, are spending £3 million with consultants to tell them how much to pay staff, have lost around £100 million through rushed asset sales, and signed off the disastrous Life Factory project in Glastonbury where millions of pounds were handed over without proper checks and balances

“It is Somerset residents who pay the price, including the thousands of disabled households who are now around £400 a year worse off following cuts this council made to their council tax support.

“Somerset families are already under pressure from rising bills and the cost of living, and they are being treated as a bottomless source of cash to cover poor decision-making at Liberal Democrat-run County Hall.”

Somerset Council deputy leader Cllr Liz Leyshon said an ‘illustrative’ figure of up to 5.9 per cent on top of 4.99 per cent had been submitted to Government to show the kind of help Somerset needed.

Cllr Leyshon said: “Somerset council tax income is still considerably below that of neighbouring and comparator councils.”

She said the authority wanted to reach a Government suggested council tax charge of £2,060 for the average band D property, which last year in Somerset stood at £1,857.

Council leader Cllr Bill Revans said: “We have been saying for some time that council tax is not a fair system for funding essential demand-led services like social care.

“Despite last year’s increase, Somerset residents still pay less council tax than the unitary average, and less than neighbouring councils like Dorset, Cornwall, Devon, and Wiltshire, due to historic decisions by legacy councils to freeze council tax in Somerset between 2010-2016.

“This means we have less money to fund essential services.

“Our finances remain fragile, and we are in discussions with the Government around further exceptional financial support for this year.

“If the Government were to agree to a 5.9 per cent increase above the 4.99 per cent cap, this would bring Somerset Council in line with the Government’s figure of £2,060 for a band D property, which they use when calculating grant funding.

“No formal requests or firm decisions have been made.

“Any potential increases will be discussed and agreed by councillors as part of budget setting in February.

“We continue to lobby on behalf of Somerset residents and urge Government to accelerate their long-promised plans for reform of council tax to create fairer funding for local government.”