THE Band D council tax bill in St Helens has increased by more than £600 over the past decade.

Council tax in St Helens will increase by 4.99 per cent, which includes a two per cent adult social care precept.

It will see the 2024-25 Band D council tax total £1,792.31 – which excludes parish, police and fire precepts. St Helens Council has confirmed the Band D charge for 2014-15 was £1,189.68.

This is an increase of £602.63 over that ten-year period.

2016-17 was the first year that the adult social care precept was introduced.

The council confirmed council tax will generate £95.819 million in 2024-25.

The Star has previously reported how councillors have approved the Medium-Term Financial Plan and Revenue Budget for 2024/25.

To underline the amount of money that goes into adult and children’s social care, the local authority spelt out that the combined spending will be more than £135m.

A council spokesperson said: “Council tax is only one source of income that local authorities receive to fund services, but with reductions in central Government funding in recent years, councils across the country have come to rely more on the money they can generate locally to fund vital services.

“Council tax money is not used to fund any specific services but is used alongside income from business rates, Government grants and sales, fees and charges income, to deliver the hundreds of services we provide.”

In neighbouring Warrington, council tax has increased by almost £600 for an average Band D property over the past decade.

Council tax in the town will increase by 4.98 per cent in 2024-25 – which includes a two per cent adult social care precept. It will see an average Band D property pay £1,779.19 of Warrington Borough Council tax.

But, after taking into account the council tax requirement of the borough council, the police precept for Cheshire, and the fire precept for Cheshire, there would be a total cost of £2,132.22 for an average Band D property, in an area without a parish council.

Meanwhile, the average Band D property, in an area with a parish council, would see the cost total £2,171.10.

While the average Band D property will pay £1,779.19 of Warrington Borough Council tax, this cost in 2014-15 totalled £1,182.09. This is an increase of £597.10.