Tory-run councils will ignore pleas from ministers and impose tax rises
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Version 0 of 1. Dozens of Conservative councils will defy pleas from ministers and impose council tax rises on their residents in April, research reveals today. Across England almost a third of councils are planning to increase charges, many to the maximum level allowed without triggering a local referendum, despite a demand from Conservative ministers’ that they cut or freeze bills. Many of those councils who say they can no longer balance the books without increasing charges are Tory controlled – including local authorities covering the constituencies of David Cameron, William Hague and Michael Gove. The Local Government Chronicle surveyed 262 of England’s 353 local authorities and found that 31 per cent were planning to reject the Government’s offer of a 1 per cent funding increase in return for freezing council tax bills. More than half of those councils plan to increase bills by the maximum of 1.99 per cent – just below the threshold that triggers a local referendum on bills. Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, has called such a tactic “democracy dodging”. In total, 34 per cent of councils raising bills have a Tory majority; 44 per cent are Labour run and 22 per cent are under no overall control or independent. For the average Band D household, a 2 per cent council tax increase would cost £29 per year. Councillors in Oxfordshire, which covers Mr Cameron’s constituency of Witney, will meet today to approve a 1.99 per cent increase. A rise of 1.99 per cent is also set to be approved tomorrow by North Yorkshire County Council, which includes Richmond, Mr Hague’s constituency. The move, which follows a three-year freeze, is expected to generate an extra £4.6m. Kent County Council, which is also Tory-run, has just approved a 1.99 per cent increase which will bring in an extra £10m. The Local Government Association said Whitehall grants to councils were being cut by 40 per cent between 2010 and 2015, at a time when demographic pressure is growing on authorities which have a statutory obligation to provide adult social care. Sharon Taylor, the chair of the LGA’s finance panel, said: “It should be for councils and their residents to decide how local services are paid for, not Whitehall. The ballot box on local election day allows for people to pass judgement on their councils.” But Mr Pickles said: “Since 2010, council tax bills have been cut by 10 per cent in real terms across England and people haven’t been facing the threat of soaring bills. I would urge councils to take up the offer of additional funding to help freeze council tax this year to help their residents with the cost of living.” Increases by councils Councils proposing an increase of more than 2%, triggering a referendum Brighton and Hove City Council: 4.75% Councils proposing a 1.99% increase North East Lincolnshire Council Oxfordshire CC Lancashire CC Wolverhampton City Council St Helens MBC Nottinghamshire CC Kent CC Darlington BC Northamptonshire CC Cambridgeshire CC Exeter City Council Derbyshire CC Surrey CC Taunton Deane BC North Yorkshire CC Tunbridge Wells DC City of York Council Medway Council Ipswich BC Dorset CC Wakefield MDC Leeds City Council Aylesbury Vale DC Lancaster City Council Halton BC Devon CC Birmingham City Council Warwickshire CC Richmondshire DC West Dorset DC Middlesbrough Council Councils proposing a different increase Northumberland CC: 1.98% Cornwall Council: 1.97% Bristol City Council: 1.95% Hull City Council: 1.95% East Sussex CC: 1.95% Norwich City Council: 1.95% Bolton MBC: 1.95% Worcestershire CC: 1.94% Stockton-on-Tees BC: 1.9% Derby City Council: 1.85% Reading BC: 1.83% Lincoln City Council: 1.8% Mid Suffolk DC 1.72% Bassetlaw DC: 1.5% Buckinghamshire CC 1.5% (previously proposed 1.99% rise) Pendle BC: 1.5% Luton BC: 1.5% Harlow DC: 1.49% Councils proposing a freeze Essex CC (previously proposed 1.49% rise) Hertfordshire CC Hampshire CC Suffolk CC West Sussex CC Lincolnshire CC Sheffield City Council Calderdale MBC Gedling BC Somerset CC Oldham MBC Thanet DC Mid Sussex DC South Staffordshire Council Northampton BC Norfolk CC Southwark LBC Waveney DC Carlisle City Council (previously proposed 1.99% rise) Bedford BC Southend BC Chorley BC Peterborough City Council Leicestershire CC (previously proposed 1.5% rise) Lambeth LBC Camden LBC Tower Hamlets LBC Kingston RBC Slough BC Croydon LBC Stockport MBC Huntingdonshire DC King’s Lynn & West Norfolk BC Barking & Dagenham LBC Bexley LBC Brent LBC Ealing LBC Enfield LBC Greenwich LBC Hackney LBC Havering LBC Haringey LBC Hillingdon LBC Islington LBC Kensington & Chelsea RBC: also a £100 rebate for residents Merton LBC Newham LBC Richmond LBC Sutton LBC Waltham Forest LBC East Cambridgeshire DC Gloucestershire CC Swindon BC Somerset CC North West Leicestershire DC East Riding of Yorkshire Council Staffordshire CC Boston BC South Lakeland DC Suffolk CC St Edmundsbury BC South Kesteven DC New Forest DC West Berkshire Council Kirklees Council Havant BC Worthing BC Newcastle BC Hyndburn BC Manchester City Council Central Bedfordshire Council Basildon BC Adur DC Hambleton DC Portsmouth City Council Thurrock Council Wirral MBC (previously proposed 1.99% increase) Chesterfield BC Crawley BC Chiltern DC Sunderland City Council Cheshire West and Chester Council Tendring DC Stoke-on-Trent City Council Staffordshire Moorlands DC Rother DC Colchester BC - initially proposed 1.95% rise Harrow LBC Westminster LBC Cumbria CC Bath & NE Somerset Council Cheshire East Council Milton Keynes Council Wiltshire Council Rutland CC Telford & Wrekin Council Dudley MBC Sandwell MBC Councils proposing to cut council tax South Oxfordshire DC: 2.5% cut Hammersmith & Fulham LBC: 3% cut Windsor & Maidenhead RBC: 2% cut Braintree DC: 1% cut Hounslow LBC: 0.5% cut Barnet LBC: 1% cut Brentwood BC: Proposing a cut, but amount not yet announced Uttlesford DC: 2% cut Shepway DC: 0.5% cut Source: Local Government Chronicle |