Councillors in Falkirk approve 15.6% council tax rise

Councillors in Falkirk have approved a council tax increase of 15.6%, the largest so far announced by any Scottish local authority for 2025/26.

The rise will see a band D household in the area charged £1,576.77, equating to an increase of £4.09 per week.

Falkirk Council said the increase was necessary to sustain “essential services”, and to fund investment in areas like roads, schools and flood prevention.

Independent councillor Laura Murtagh, who backed the rise, is quoted in the BBC as saying: “I hate having to do this but it is the right thing to do.

“I do feel physically ill to the pit of my stomach where we are having to make these impossible decisions.”

She added that the council had a “duty” to bridge a £33 million financial black hole.

The authority said the increase will result in Falkirk having the “10th highest” council tax in Scotland in 2025/26, of those that have set their budgets for next year.

Orkney Island Council has so far seen the next highest increase, with a rise of 15%, followed by West Dunbartonshire Council with 11.5%.

The average rise across the 31 local authorities to have announced their 25/26 budgets is 9.5%.

East Dunbartonshire is the only council yet to announce its budget for next year.

The increases come as a council tax rate freeze imposed by the Scottish Government in 2024/25 comes to an end.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, warned the hikes in council tax rates would hurt the Scottish economy.

“Consumer spending is the mainstay of Scotland’s economy,” he said.

“An average council tax bill rise of 9.5% will take a £278 million bite out of consumer spending power.

“This will heap further pressure onto household finances, on top of rising energy and water bills, and onto consumer-facing sectors at a time when retail sales are already lacklustre.”