As Rutland County Council release more information about the 2023/24 annual budget, it seems that a Council Tax increase is expected.

In addition to spending plans for the 2023/24 budget, it appears that Rutland County Council propose to implement a Council Tax rise of 2.99%

This follows the maximum rise last year, when Rutland's Council Tax is already the most expensive in the UK.

Leader of Rutland County Council, Lucy Stephenson said: "With the 12-month rate of inflation calculated at 10% for 2022, the government expects all councils to raise Council Tax by the maximum amount allowed, as well as using reserves and making savings to balance their budgets and keep on delivering local services.

"This is what we must do. With local elections in May, councillors could quite easily place their electoral ambitions ahead of the county's long-term needs by offering a Council Tax freeze and exhausting our reserves to pay for it. If we do this, our funding gap will grow beyond our control in the coming years and risk bankruptcy in the future."

With another maximum increase on the cards, many local residents will be wondering why Oakham is one of the only county towns in the country with no swimming pool, since the closure of the Catmose Leisure Centre pool in 2021.

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