Dorset residents will be paying the second highest council tax in the country.

The average (Band D) total bill for people under the new Dorset Council is £2,038.

As well as charges for the new unitary authority, the total bill also takes into consideration charges for fire and police services and the town or parish council precept.

It was reported earlier this month how increases in bills in most of Dorset would go well above the rate of inflation, with some Band D homes paying more than £2,000 a year for the first time.

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Now a comparison with other areas can be made after the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the levels of council tax set by English local authorities for 2019-20.

Band D households in Rutland, in the East Midlands, have the highest average total council tax at £2,043, followed by the Nottingham and the newly-created Dorset Council, both at £2,038.

The lowest average total Band D council tax is Westminster at £755, followed by £770 in Wandsworth.

Across the country, household budgets have been dealt a blow as council tax bills hit doormats.

The average household in England faces a £78 hike in council tax from April, the second highest increase in the last decade.

Part of the reason for the increase is owing to councils being given scope to raise bills by up to 2 per cent to fund adult social care. They have also been given some leeway to boost funding for policing.

But higher bills do not necessarily mean a boost to local services.

The funding central government gives local authorities will have fallen by almost 60 per cent this decade. Even with the latest increase, the Local Government Association is warning of a funding "gap" of £7.8bn by 2025, which could put further pressure on services.

In response to the figures, Matt Prosser, Chief Executive (Designate) for Dorset Council, said: “Like many councils across the country, we are continuing to face significant financial pressures.

“We no longer receive any funding from central government in the form of revenue support grant. This used to make a significant contribution to council income. And our costs continue to rise due to inflation and increasing demand for social care for vulnerable adults and children.

“The local government reorganisation in Dorset, replacing six councils with one new Dorset Council, is helping to manage these financial pressures. By moving to one council, we are reducing duplication and management overheads, so we can ensure that resources are used where they are needed most, to provide the day-to-day services Dorset residents rely on. These services include maintaining roads, care and education of children, waste collection, social care for vulnerable older and disabled people, housing, libraries, parks and much more.

“We are more dependent than ever on the revenue we receive from council tax, which now makes up 82 per cent of the council’s income. As part of the move to one unitary council, council tax has been harmonised. This means all residents in the new Dorset Council area now pay a standard council tax rate for Dorset Council. This was agreed by councillors to be the fairest approach.

“To get to a harmonised figure, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government set a charge of £1,582.44. Dorset Council applied a 2.99% increase, as is permitted by government, which brings the total Band D charge to £1,629.75.”