FIGURES used for calculating council tax rates in the BCP Council area, having been hit by the pandemic, are rising again.

Comparisons with previous years are complicated because this will be the first year that a combined BCP Council tax base has been used, having harmonised the council tax charge across the area in 2021/22.

The tax base, upon which all other calculations for council tax are set, is expressed as the number of band D equivalent properties.

That figure has increased from 139,170 in 2021/22 to 142,814 in 22/23.

The base calculations include an estimated 2.4 per cent of council tax which it is assumed will not be collected, slightly better than the 21/22 figures by 0.4 per cent.

The tax base calculation will be used by the BCP full council meeting in February when the council tax across the area for the coming year is set.

At that time the council’s requirement for 22/23 will be divided by the calculated tax base figure to arrive at a charge for each housing band.