FEARS over the soaring cost of living are fuelling opposition to Newport City Council's proposed council tax rise.

Council tax in Newport could go up by 3.7 per cent in the new financial year, and public feedback on the move suggests people are reluctant to accept the new rate.

The council put its proposals out for public consultation last month, and the cabinet will meet later this week to discuss the responses.

Among the dozens of comments received were several highlighting concerns about the rising cost of living.

One Newport resident said: "Households will be struggling with increased gas and electricity prices along with fuel and shopping increases. Wage increase[s] do not mirror the expected raising ongoing costs. This will be a huge burden on many families."

Another said: "Families are already struggling with increased food and energy costs."

South Wales Argus:

Other people have been more supportive of the higher rates and fees, however.

One said they "don’t mind an increase so long as it’s spent on improving the place and not on other stuff", while another resident said the council's plan "sounds reasonable".

The full budget consultation received 97 responses online, and a shorter version received 886 responses from users of the city's free bus Wi-Fi.

South Wales Argus:

Across the two surveys, 46 per cent of people said the council's proposed 3.7 per cent tax rise was "too much", while 20 per cent said it was "about right".

One in 20 people (4.9 per cent) said the proposed council tax rise was "not enough" while the remainder – all of whom were answering the bus Wi-Fi survey, said they didn't know.

In the full budget consultation, 80 per cent of respondents believed the proposed council tax rise was "too much". 

The cost of living has surged in recent months, driven in part by the pandemic's disruption to supply chains in the food and energy industries.

This spring, Ofgem will lift the price cap and allow energy firms to charge customers more for heating bills, and there are fears thousands more people in Wales will be sucked into so-called "fuel poverty" and be forced to choose between warming their homes and putting food on the table.

The Welsh Government this week announced a £330 million buffer against the rising cost of living, pumping more money into winter fuel support and discretionary funds for people who are in need. There'll also be a £150 payment to all households in council tax bands A-D.

Newport City Council's cabinet will meet on Friday to discuss the consultation, as part of their final proposals for the new budget.