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Fire Precept: Isle Of Wight Residents To Pay £7 More

Isle of Wight residents will pay £7 more for the fire precept this year.

Previously, the amount residents pay towards the fire authority on the Island was included in the main council tax allowance as it was run by the Isle of Wight Council.

Now with the combination of Hampshire’s and the Isle of Wight’s fire and rescue services, a new fire precept has been set for Island residents.

To bring the amount Isle of Wight residents pays up to the same base level as Hampshire residents, an alternative notional amount was agreed by the Secretary of State.

Before any increase to the fire precept, a Band C property will have to pay £6.11 to level the baseline across both sides of the Solent.

Today (Wednesday), the shadow Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority (HIWFRA) unanimously approved a 1.99 per cent increase to the fire tax for all Hampshire and Isle of Wight taxpayers.

A Band C property will have to pay £1.22 more a year for the fire authority — a total of £62.60 a year.

Compared to how much they paid for a fire and rescue service in the last financial year (2020/21), an Isle of Wight Band C property will pay £7.33 more for the combined authority.

From April 1, the HIWFRA will move out of its shadow capacity, controlling emergency fire responses across 14 local authority areas.

Speaking at the shadow HIWFRA meeting, Cllr Dave Stewart, the leader of the Isle of Wight Council, said the combined fire authority will provide a positive contribution to the Island, with investment already approved for the fire estate.

The fire precept will be collected at the same time as the main council tax, in the same way it is done for the Police and town and parish council precepts.

The main council tax increase — potentially 4.99 per cent, with three per cent going towards adult social care — is due to be set on February 24.

By Louise Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

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