YOU’VE opened your bills, had to have a sit down and a calming mug of tea (or something stronger) and worked out where you’ll have to make savings in order to pay this year’s council tax bill. It’s fair to say some parts of Cornwall have been hit harder than others at a time when all councils face expenditure increases during the cost of living crisis.

Those figures are on top of an increase of Cornwall Council’s element of 2.99 per cent plus a two per cent levy to be spent solely on adult social care. The Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner has chosen to increase its element of the council tax by 4.95 per cent.

The 20 most expensive places to live in Cornwall for council tax on a Band D home in 2024/25:

•1. Falmouth: £431.24 (an increase of 1.93 per cent from £423.06 last year)

• 2. Truro: £401.97 (an increase of 25.47 per cent from £320.38 last year)

• 3. Bodmin: £352.25 (an increase of 7.45 per cent from £327.81 last year)

• 4. Launceston: £324.37 (an increase of 18.34 per cent from £274.09 last year)

• 5. Penzance: £321.70 (an increase of 7.12 per cent from £299.86 last year)

• 6. Camelford: £312.72 (an increase of 8.60 per cent from £287.95 last year)

• 7. Newquay: £300.98 (an increase of 26.96 per cent from £237.07 last year)

• 8. Bude-Stratton: £299.19 (an increase of 20.51 per cent from £248.28 last year)

• 9. Hayle: £292.74 (an increase of 21.85 per cent from £240.24 last year)

• 10. Wadebridge: £271.02 (an increase of 7.89 per cent from £251.21 last year)

• 11. Callington: £268.51 (an increase of 9.28 per cent from £245.70 last year)

• 12. Redruth: £259.63 (an increase of 11.43 per cent from £233 last year)

• 13. St Ives: £258.11 (an increase of 22.94 per cent from £209.94 last year)

• 14. Saltash: £248.58 (an increase of 4.82 per cent from £237.16 last year)

• 15. Camborne: £235.37 (an increase of 11.86 per cent from £210.41 last year)

• 16. Lostwithiel: £231.39 (an increase of 6.74 per cent from £216.77 last year)

• 17. Helston: £227.15 (an increase of 11.92 per cent from £202.96 last year)

• 18. Looe: £215.90 (an increase of 4 per cent from £207.60 last year)

• 19. Torpoint: £195.44 (an increase of 10.74 per cent from £176.49 last year)

• 20. St Columb Major: £189.57 (an increase of 3.97 per cent from £182.33 last year)

Falmouth is the town charging the most for its council tax precept.

Cornwall’s capital city is the second most expensive place to live when it comes to your council tax bill.

Bodmin Town Council have been approached, which oversees one of the poorest towns in Cornwall, to ask why its precept is also high, at over £350 a year for a Band D dwelling. A political row broke out a few months ago when Newquay Town Council voted to agree a 26.96 per cent rise in its council tax element.

The biggest percentage increases, over 50 per cent, on the council tax precept for a Band D property in 2024/25:

• 1. Sancreed: 122.14 per cent (from £26.69 last year to £59.29 this year)

• 2. Perranarworthal: 115.16 per cent (from £44.65 last year to £96.07 this year)

• 3. St Mellion: 80.66 per cent (from £32.05 last year to £57.90 this year)

• 4. Warbstow: 73.98 per cent (from £9.34 last year to £16.25 this year)

• 5. Duloe: 65.99 per cent (from £33.20 last year to £55.11 this year)

• 6. Mawnan: 52.27 per cent (from £55.63 last year to £84.71 this year)

• 7. St Tudy: 50.33 per cent (from £66.03 last year to £99.26 this year)

Colin Bridges, chairman of Perranarworthal Parish Council, explained: “The percentage increase in the parish council precept for 2024/25 at 115 per cent admittedly looks huge, but it is actually 115 per cent of not very much and, even with a large percentage increase, it remains not very much.

“Of course, the actual amount of the precept per household will vary according to the council tax band but, in very broad terms, the parish council precept will only increase from about £1 per week to £2 per week. And remember, that’s the cost per household, so the cost per person will generally be lower.

“The precept in this parish has traditionally been among the lowest of the surrounding parishes. The precept in some of our neighbouring parishes was double or triple that of Perranarworthal. Rather than try to raise the precept gradually, which would have taken many, many years to reach a more normal level, the parish council decided to take one big step forward in order to meet the increasing demands placed upon it.”