DORSET Council has slammed last week’s three-year provisional Local Government Financial Settlement for failing to deliver a significant funding boost to the county.

The council says while the settlement delivers more certainty of income, the government is forcing it to raise council tax to the maximum, just to “stand still”.

Cabinet portfolio member for finance and capital strategy Cllr Simon Clifford called it “another disappointment”.

“On paper, it looks like we got an extra £25.9 million in funding – but in reality, £24.1million of that is extra council tax,” he said.

“We asked for fairer funding for a rural county with an ageing population needing social care support. We need investment to improve transport and to boost schools.

“We hoped to have had good news that would give Dorset residents better services and more help to support vulnerable people.

“Sadly, we have been let down – again. The government has even removed the extra funding we were hoping for to recognise that it is more expensive to provide services in a very rural county.

“It means that once again rural councils like Dorset are being left behind, having to increasingly rely on getting income from council tax rather than funding from central government.

“The government expects us to increase council tax by 4.99% each year. We essentially no longer have any choice in this.”

Cllr Clifford said “prudent planning” by the council meant it had set a balanced budget for 2026/27, although further savings will need to be found.

More details will be published in the new year.