High Peak council joins Derbyshire authorities by increasing its share of council tax bills
The borough council is increasing its share of tax by 2.99%
High Peak Borough Council has agreed to increase its share of residents’ council tax by 2.99per cent for the forthcoming 2026-27 financial year after identifying a forecast Derbyshire-wide collection fund deficit among all the precepting authorities worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The Labour-controlled council voted at a meeting on February 26, at The Palace Hotel, Palace Road, in Buxton, to approve a 2.99per cent council tax increase for the 2026-27 financial year – equal to a £6.70 increase on a Band D equivalent property – providing a £230.89 payment from a Band D property.
Calculations were based on the council setting a General Fund Budget of £16,650,300 while identifying other elements including a predicted deficit in the Collection Fund for Council Tax at March 31, 2026, of £586,000 across all Derbyshire’s precepting authorities with High Peak Borough Council’s share of this deficit identified as £66,790.
After calculating a total budget of £16,650,300 alongside use of reserves, the Council Tax Collection Fund Deficit, a Business Rates Collection Fund Deficit, External Financing, and Business Rates Retention, the council identified a total necessary requirement of £7,574,810 from its council tax.
A High Peak Borough Council spokesperson stated: “The Collection Fund for council tax is predicted to have a deficit at March 31, 2026, of £586,000.
“The deficit is shared amongst the major precepting authorities i.e. Derbyshire County Council, Police & Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service and this council.
“The redistribution is made in proportion to the level of each authority’s precept for the current financial year. This council’s share of the deficit is £66,790.”
High Peak Borough Council’s budget report outlines a final General Fund budget proposal for 2026-27 providing for a net budget of £16,650,300 with a council tax increase of £6.70 on a Band D equivalent property or 2.99per cent providing a precept of £230.89 for the year to help support services.
An overall council tax bill for Derbyshire residents includes an accumulation of numerous precepts determined by the county council and relevant local authorities including district or borough councils, parish or town councils for relevant areas and the police and fire authorities as part of their annual budget arrangements.
The borough council collects council tax on behalf of the county council, police and fire authorities and town and parish councils but only retains around 10per cent of the total.
Derbyshire County Council’s precept demand stands at £56,066,835 which has resulted in a Band D council tax of £1,708.99 representing a £4.90per cent increase of £79.83 when compared to the level of tax it levied in 2025-26.
The precept demand issued by the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner is £10,124,240.20 which has produced a Band D council tax of £308.60 which represents a 5.11per cent increase or £15 when compared to the level of tax levied in 2025-26.
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service’s precept demand is £3,228,536 which has resulted in a Band D council tax of £98.41 which is equal to a 5.35per cent increase of £5 when compared with the level of precept for 2025-26.
Each of the High Peak’s parish council’s has notified the borough council about their precept requirements for the year with the total required by the parishes standing at £1,239,112.12 which produces an average Band D council tax of £37.77 with an average increase of £2.61 or 7.42per cent with the actual amount levied varying from parish to parish.
The overall, estimated council tax charge for a Band D property for High Peak residents, allowing for the average parish calculations, for 2026-27 is expected to be £2,384.66 by comparison with £2,275.52 in 2025-26 which overall means an estimated 4.8per cent increase or £109.14 taking into account all the authorities’ precepts.
In setting the budget, the council considered the Labour Government’s announced extra investment of over £5.6bn over the next three years for local authorities but the Government has assumed as part of the deal that councils will increase council tax by the maximum of up to five per cent for county councils and up to three per cent for borough and district councils.
High Peak Borough Council approved its council tax and rent arrangements as part of its budget setting plans and General Fund Budget for 2026-27 and its updated Medium-Term Financial Plan for 2026-27 to 2029-30 which were all approved at its latest meeting.
Other matters which were approved included the council’s Capital Strategy for 2026-27, its fees and charges and its Procurement Forward Plan for 2026-27 as well as recommendations concerning its Treasury Management Strategy.
The council based its council tax calculations on the Government’s new multi-year provisional Local Government funding settlement as opposed to a previous one-year arrangement which had made planning more difficult.
It also considered the impact of a reset Business Rates Retention Scheme and the prospect of the Government’s Local Government Reorganisation plans to merge county, city and borough and district councils to form single unitary authorities in areas like Derbyshire which could see the 2028-29 and 2029-30 financial years fall outside the life of the borough council.
Cllr Alan Barrow, Executive Councillor for Corporate Services and Finance, said: “The council budget funds the essential everyday services our residents and businesses rely on including waste and recycling collections, our leisure centres, parks and green spaces, and supporting our town centres and villages to thrive.
“We are always mindful of the need to strike the balance between providing the high quality, value for money services our communities rely on and keeping costs as low as possible for our tax payers.
“If anyone needs help with paying their council tax, I would urge them to review our website for further information or contact the team at the council as support may be available.
“We have agreed to expand our council tax reduction scheme to ensure it provides sufficient support for our lowest income households and those facing exceptional hardship, and is applied fairly.”
The council’s budget report also stipulated the final Housing Revenue Account budget proposal for 2026-27 provides for a net budget of £18,434,350 based on a council home rent increase of 4.8per cent which is the level at which the Government restricted the 2026-27 rent increase for existing tenants.
It subsequently agreed a council home rent increase of 4.8per cent which is the level at which the Government restricted the 2026-27 rent increase for existing tenants and is equal to a £4.62 increase for an average weekly rent giving a total average weekly rent of £99.48 by comparison with the previous financial year’s £94.86.
The council says its HRA working balance is made up of surpluses that have accumulated over several years and the council retains a minimum of £3m to cover unexpected events that might trigger financial pressures and a review in reference to 2026-27’s income and expenditure confirms that an existing minimum level of £2,454,000 remains sufficient.
Other areas included increasing garage rents by 5per cent from an average per week of £9.11 to £9.57, and increasing by a maximum of 5per cent other charges including service charges, and the Chief Finance Officer’s view that the level of reserves are adequate was also noted.
The council also agreed to changes to the working age Council Tax Reduction scheme from the beginning of the 2026-27 financial year from April 1 with the implementation of an Exceptional Hardship Policy.
These proposed changes aim to help applicants who receive Universal Credit, but who do not have any earnings, to receive the maximum level of support which means certain arrangements under previous support schemes can be disregarded when calculating entitlements.
High Peak Borough Council is also anticipating greater costs than originally considered when setting its Medium-Term Financial Plan last year due to funding cuts and the effects of inflation ‘drag’ on council budgets.
It also explained that despite the council’s pay award for 2025-26 being largely in line with the budget assumptions made for that year, the amount of Employer’s National Insurance grant funding the council received fell significantly short of the costs actually incurred.
The council also anticipates a pay increase of three per cent in the MTFP for 2026-27 and 2.5per cent included for 2027-28 and after which the MTFP assumes a 2per cent pay award in line with the Bank of England target for Consumer Price Index inflation.
It says the council’s plans leave a balanced 2026-27 budget on both the revenue and capital side of its finances but it expects greater uncertainty and risk in the MTFP for future years.
The MTFP includes an updated General Fund Capital Programme of £33,632,170 and an HRA Capital Programme of £37,670,780 over the period from 2025-26 to 2029-30, according to the council.
High Peak Borough Council’s Executive has also reviewed the council’s ‘Borough Plan’ within the context of LGR and the remaining life of the authority and it has stressed that it is committed in the time it has left to playing a lead role in championing the local area.
It aims to influence partners in key areas such as the provision of accessible health and social care, dealing with anti-social behaviour, pressing for more regular and faster rail links, better public transport and essential road infrastructure.
This includes the completion of the off-road route for the Trans-Pennine Trail and access to the Monsal and Tissington trails, bringing in additional funding into the borough, ensuring benefits for High Peak from the East Midlands Devolution Deal and ensuring there is collective action on climate change.
The council’s MTFP report says the implications of LGR are being considered alongside this review to establish what action needs to be taken in the council’s remaining time.
It says a long-standing earmarked reserve of £500,000 remains available to support the implementation of the Efficiency Programme should investments be required.
High Peak Borough Council also aims to carry adequate reserves as a contingency against any risks and a review – in reference to 2026-27’s income and expenditure – confirming that the existing minimum level of £1,576,800 remains sufficient.
The council’s Executive has also given an overall performance update for the council’s third quarter of the current 2025-26 financial year and the forecast financial position for 2025-26.
The forecast outturn for the General Fund Revenue Account for 2025-26 is £15,746,690 which represents a forecast overspend for the year of £562,490 so a potential net use of the council’s earmarked reserves has been identified, giving an overall deficit of £47,250 before an increase in external funding resulting in a forecast surplus of £834,280.
Therefore the General Fund provisional outturn for 2025-26 is forecast as a £834,280 underspend against budget.
The council has also identified £219,900 in efficiencies so far in the 2025-26 financial year which exceeds the target set for 2025-26.
Provisional outturn expenditure on the Housing Revenue Account is £17,583,400 with an estimated income of £17,595,500 which represents a surplus for the year of £12,100.
The council’s revised General Fund Capital Programme budget for 2025-26 is nearly seventeen-and-a-half million pounds as the provisional outturn forecasts a £7.593m underspend compared to budget.
And the revised HRA Capital Programme for 2025-26 is £12.924m and the provisional outturn is £10.064m with a forecast underspend of £2.860m compared to budget.