CHRISTCHURCH Town Council is to increase its share of the council tax bill by more than 50 per cent this year due to concerns it is “woefully underfunded”.

People living in Band D homes in the area it covers will, from April, be charged an extra £14.33 a year to allow the overall budget to be increased to just over £500,000.

The council said it had a “cripplingly low” precept and that it needed more funding to allow it to begin improving services.

This year Band D homes in the town paid a £27.89. Under plans considered by the council last month, this will rise to £42.22.

A report published ahead of its meeting said the increase will still mean the town council has a comparatively low charge.

“Although the precept is increasing a large amount, it cannot be stressed enough that the precept was set at a cripplingly low level when compared to similar councils,” it said.

“Crucially, this figure is still half the cost of those town councils with a similar tax base to Christchurch, and quarter of the cost when the comparison is made across Dorset.

“It is hoped that this budget illustrates that the town council is now ready to begin to make changes and enhancements to the community.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the mayor of Christchurch, councillor Lesley Dedman, who is a town councillor and BCP Council cabinet member, said the original budget had been “woefully underfunded”.

Councillor Mike Cox, a fellow representative of both councils, said the town council would still, comparatively, be “incredibly underfunded” but that it would now have “the resources to improve Christchurch”.

The town council precept makes up a small part of the overall council tax bill, most of which goes to BCP Council.

If plans are approved on Tuesday, the amount it takes from people in Christchurch living in a Band D home will fall from £1,598.30 to £1,541.57.

The move has been proposed by the council as part of its two-year plan to level charges across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Burton Parish Council has proposed a one per cent increase to its precept and Hurn Parish Council has set a three per cent rise.

Highcliffe and Walkford Parish Council will cut its precept by more than six per cent.