> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Residents brace themselves for another tax hike as Ipswich Borough Council set to increase rate by 3%
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/ipswich-borough-council-tax-set-to-increase-nearly-3pc/
- Published: 2025-02-05T08:22:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T15:22:48.000Z
- Description: Ipswich Borough Council warns of continuing financial pressures as it looks set to increase council tax by 2.98% in April, adding to the 4.99% and 5.06% increases planned by Suffolk County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner, respectively.
- Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams
- Tags: News, Councils, Money, poverty and the cost of living, #article, Ipswich Borough Council, #Import 2026-03-16 14:45

**Why it matters:** The Council says increasing service demands and reduced government funding are leading to "tough decisions" to protect local services. The announcement comes the same day it announced [residents would be charged £50 per year for brown bin collections](https://www.ipswich.co.uk/tag/residents-would-be-charged-50-per-year-for-brown-bin-collections/).

![A photo of the Ipswich Borough Council office in Ipswich](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/03/1720823376-ipswich-borough-council-jpeg-1.jpg)

Ipswich Borough Council warns of continuing financial pressures as it looks set to increase council tax by 2.98% in April Photo: Oliver Rouane-Williams (Ipswich.co.uk)

**By the numbers:**

- £23m current budget gap identified
- £119m real-terms reduction in government grants since 2010
- £19m savings planned over the next four years

**The big picture:** It's not just Ipswich Borough Council increasing their rates. Residents face council tax rises from all authorities in 2025/26:

- Ipswich Borough Council: 2.98%
- Suffolk County Council: 4.99%
- Police and Crime Commissioner: 5.06%

This amounts to a total annual increase of £81.12 for Band B properties and an extra £209.17 for Band H properties.

**What they're saying:** "Like so many others, the Council has been hit by economic uncertainty and significant cost increases outside of its control," says Council Leader Neil MacDonald. "These include a significant increase in demand for key statutory services, higher price levels from recent high inflation, and the impact of interest rates reducing more slowly than expected."

**What's next:** The Council's Executive will consider the financial proposals on Tuesday, 11 February, with final decisions to be made at Full Council on 19 February.

**The bottom line:** The Council says it must continue making difficult financial decisions while trying to protect services, despite successfully identifying £19m in savings. Its proposed 2.98% council tax rise is lower than Suffolk County Council's 4.99% and Police and Crime Commissioner's 5.06% increases, but that will be of little consolation to residents already feeling the squeeze.

### Independent local journalism is expensive to produce

It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners.