Council Tax bills in Richmond borough are set to rise by an average of £120 a year on a typical Band D property, taking the figure up to £2,142 a year.

An average rise of 5.92% will be applied from April 1 just as other big household bills, such as energy, are set to go up.

Council leaders said the increases reflect rising costs, particularly in providing social care for the elderly and children, plus an increase imposed by the Mayor of London and Greater London Authority.

In other measures –

* The Council is raising funds to provide up to £100 to help households struggling to pay for essentials, which will be on top of support from central government.

* There will be £135,000 to help residents with costs triggered by the expansion of the ULEZ zone to cover all of Richmond in August, which will be top of schemes offered by the Mayor of London.

* Despite the squeeze on budgets, the Council has set aside £200,000 to support events, including street parties, which will be held to mark the King's Coronation in May.

As well as raising extra money, the Council has outlined a plan to make savings of some £5million, which is likely to include closing some offices, to balance the books.

Cllr Robin Brown, Richmond Council Lead Member for Finance, said: "Inflation is dramatically affecting Council budgets, but maintaining public services is vital to protect those who depend on them and to keep Richmond a great place to live for all.

"The Council's finances are well managed, so we have some reserves to help deal with rising costs.

"We have also put in place a £5 million savings programme and are looking at other ways to make sure the Council is run as efficiently and effectively as possible, making every penny count.

"Unfortunately, these alone will not cover the gaps in our budgets, so we must increase Council Tax. 

"We don't do this lightly given the pressures on people's finances, but this is necessary for us to deliver a fair deal for all our residents.

"To help those most in need of financial help, we are setting aside funds to reduce the bills of those on the lowest incomes by up to £100. This is in addition to any support they already receive with their council tax and so will be of direct benefit to thousands of households."

There are two elements to Council Tax - the figure applied by Richmond Council to run its services, including social care, and a separate figure raised by the Mayor of London and Greater London Authority for transport, policing and other services.

The figure for Richmond Council is set to rise by 2.99% for its core services plus an extra 2% to fund the increasing costs of funding Adult Social Care. These increases will add £81.13 to the annual bill on a Band D property, taking it up to £1,707.07.

The second figure - precept - charged by the Mayor of London and GLA is increasing by 9.74%, which equates to an increase of £38.55, taking this element up to a total of £434.14 for a Band D property.

The combined effect of the two increases means a householder with a Band D property will pay an extra £119.68 for the 2023-24 financial year, taking the total to £2,141.21 - an increase of 5.92%.

There are eight bands – based on the property's value - which are used to set how much Council Tax a household will pay. For 2023-24 the amount payable will range from £1,427.48 to £4,282.43.

The Council said it has already dedicated £3 million to assist residents, businesses and the voluntary sector through the cost-of-living crisis. However, it said the financial pressures on households is resulting in increased demand on other services, in particular adult and children's social care.

As a result, some 34% of its gross revenue will be spent on Adult Social Services and another 22% on Children's Services (excluding schools and education). 

The Council said its other priorities for the year ahead are –

* Action plan to tackle crime and improve the safety of women and girls in the borough.

* Investing in school facilities, including creating additional places for special needs education.

* Investing in the community safety team to tackle anti-social behaviour, as well as fly-tipping and noise nuisance.

* Delivering more affordable housing.

* Expanding tree planting, installing EV charging and bike hangars.

* Looking at flood resilience as part of the climate emergency strategy.  

* Becoming a Borough of Sanctuary for refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

* Supporting High Streets and local businesses.

* Investing in our tourism sector and advice programmes for local businesses.

* Transforming Twickenham Riverside.

* Looking after the borough's roads and pavements. 

* Maintaining libraries, playgrounds, leisure centres and parks.

The budget proposals will be discussed at next week's Finance, Policy and Resources Committee meeting on February 28, after which Richmond's Full Council will consider the proposal on Tuesday, March 7.