Machynlleth residents face the highest Council Tax bills in Powys – with the annual Council Tax bill for a Band D property going up to £2550.51 from April.

This is a £177.93 rise on what they paid last year, and the pain will be shared all around the county as Band D bills which is seen as the national standard for comparison – have now gone over the £2,000 mark.

At a meeting of Powys County Council on 6 March councillors met to formally set the Council Tax following a meeting on 20 February where an 8.9 per cent Council Tax increase for the 2025/2026 budget was agreed.

Council Tax is made up of three components, the biggest being payment for services from a principal authority such as Powys which includes education, social services, rubbish collection and highway maintenance, but a levy called a precept is also charged by the local police force, Dyfed-Powys Police and also from town or community councils.

Earlier this year Dyfed Powys police approved a precept increase of 8.6 per cent increase in which takes the annual cost up to ££360.68 for a Band D property.

In recent months over 100 town and community councils in the county have been meeting to discuss their own financial needs and decide the amount of precept to levy on their areas.

All these elements are brought together so that a total Council Tax bill is calculated.

The annual Council Tax bill for a Band D property in Machnylleth will rise to a total £2550.51, while in Llanidloes the figure will reach £2,170.20, and in Llanbrynmair the bill will total £2,175.63.

Councillors voted 29 in favour, 11 against with 19 abstentions to signing off on the council tax rates.