Families will have to pay more to fund Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service from April – after a 1.99 per cent council tax rise was approved.

The increase means families living in a Band D property will see their 2021/22 fire service precept increase by £1.54 to £78.78-a-year.

And those living in Band A properties will have to pay £52.52-a-year from April – an increase of £1.03.

That will be added to the 4.99 per cent council tax rise approved by Staffordshire County Council last week, and the expected 5.99 per cent tax increase for Staffordshire Police's precept, set to be rubber-stamped next week.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Newcastle Borough Council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Stafford Borough Council are yet to approve their 2021/22 council tax rises.

The fire service faces similar financial pressures to last year when the precept was raised by 2.99 per cent, to cope with an increase in staffing pay, meanwhile funding from central Government has dropped.

This year it forecasts a budget gap of £2.9 million by 2025/26 without a hike in the precept.

Investments for the coming year, which are part of the capital programme (borrowed money) include almost £400,000 for operational equipment, £25,000 of which is for replacement animal rescue equipment.

And £2.1 million for building repairs, which includes a new heating system at Biddulph Fire Station. In total, nearly £6 million will be borrowed and invested into the service.

The tax hike was debated at the Police, Fire and Crime Panel on Monday (February 15).

Pan chairman, Councillor Stephen Sweeney asked for a layman's terms explanation of why the council tax base had shrunk this year.

David Greensmith, the fire service's director of finance, assets and resources, said said: "Normally the building that goes on within Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent increases that council tax base.

"But because of the pandemic, because more people have been receiving council tax support during the year, more people have found themselves in financial difficulties. We're actually seeing the council tax base retract down by a 1.2 per cent reduction."

The Government have provided a one-off grant to help with the reduction in council tax, but Mr Greensmith added that he was 'concerned' about how the situation would play out in the coming years.

The fire service expects to collect £27.4 million in council tax next year from the rate rise, which was approved by panel chairman Councillor Sweeney.