Council tax and CAZ charges could soon rise

Councillors are set to debate rising council tax by 4.99% and increasing Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charges at a budget meeting later.

Bristol City Council needs to save £43m over the next two years and is considering a range of cost-saving and revenue-generating ideas.

Cuts to adult social care, youth services and housing are likely, according to the latest report.

Councillor Tony Dyer, leader of the council, said: "It's going to be a hard budget to deliver, I'm not going to pretend otherwise."

"There are a lot of things in the budget that are going to take a lot of work to deliver and there is a lot about how we can make the council work better so we can deliver better services for Bristol," he added.

This will be the council's first budget under the new committee system, which replaced the city's mayor in May 2024.

Many of the proposals are still subject to consultation and some previously touted ideas, including cutting the budget for libraries by half and closing three museums, have already been rejected.

Several revenue boosting ideas, such as a council tax rise of 4.99% and increasing CAZ in line with inflation, are also on the table.

Councillors will meet at 14:00 GMT at City Hall to vote on the proposals.

The council has a legal obligation to produce a budget and debates will continue if no conclusion can be reached on the first day.