Council tax set to rise by 3.95 per cent under Rotherham budget plans
Council tax in Rotherham is set to rise by 3.95 per cent from April under budget proposals being considered by the council.
The increase is made up of a 1.95 per cent rise in core council tax and a 2 per cent Adult Social Care precept, which councils are permitted to levy to help fund care services.
The increase would see the annual bill for a Band D household rise by £73.89, taking it from £1,870.63 to £1,944.52.
Rotherham Council says the rise is needed to help meet growing demand and rising costs, particularly in adult and children’s social care, despite receiving increased funding through the government’s Fair Funding Review.
Budget papers show the council plans to invest around £8.6 million extra in adult social care, driven by rising demand, increasingly complex care needs and higher provider costs. A further £4.8 million is earmarked for children’s social care to address rising placement costs, alongside additional funding for home-to-school transport and staffing pressures linked to pay and the Real Living Wage.
The council is also under pressure from rising demand for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, with forecasts showing a £7 million deficit on high needs funding in 2026/27, driven by increasing education, health and care plans and the cost of specialist provision.
The budget also sets out a package of wider investments across the borough, including plans to create an extra 10,000 places on the Healthy Holidays programme for children and young people, alongside expanded youth services and £453,000 to support educational psychology services.
High streets in Rotherham, Swinton, Wath, Maltby and Dinnington would benefit from £304,000 for new business support officers and events, while parks and leisure facilities are set for upgrades including a new running track at Herringthorpe Stadium, and half-price swimming for over-65s.
Cleaner streets and safer roads also feature, with £272,000 to double the roadside cleansing team, £129,000 for extra staff at household waste recycling centres, and £4.4 million for highways works including bridge repairs, new crossings and road safety schemes in every ward.
The budget also includes a number of price freezes and concessions aimed at supporting town centre footfall and keeping some everyday costs down. Parking charges at several council-run car parks will be frozen, with the first hour remaining free Monday to Friday to encourage visits to Rotherham town centre, while market stall prices at Centenary Market will also be held during redevelopment.
Unlike some authorities, the council says it does not expect to draw on its reserves to balance the 2026/27 budget, following a more favourable funding settlement and the inclusion of £3.2 million in planned savings aimed at improving efficiency and reducing or reshaping some services.
However, finance leaders have warned that significant pressures remain in the medium term, particularly in demand-led services, and that further decisions may be needed in future years if costs continue to rise faster than funding.
Rotherham Council Leader, Councillor Chris Read, said: “We are a long way from the depths of ten of millions of pounds of annual cuts that we faced not so long ago. That means that we can put more resources towards the things that residents told us are important, on the side of our families, businesses and communities.
“We remain acutely conscious of the cost of living pressures that so many of us are facing. We believe this to be the lowest increase proposed by any Yorkshire council this year so far.”
The proposals are due to be discussed by cabinet on February 9, before being considered by full council in March.