Town Halls proposing Council Tax rises

UPDATED 28/02/2012

A number of councils in England have announced that they will hike Council Tax at a time when many residents are struggling with the rising cost of living. So far 30 33  35 local authorities are choosing to reject an offer of extra money to help fund a freeze this year and are instead passing the burden entirely onto local residents. Council Tax is second only to VAT as the most burdensome tax for the poorest households. Most local authorities have chosen to freeze rates while some, like the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, have chosen to help local families by cutting rates.A number are proposing the highest possible increase in tax while dodging a referendum by keeping the increase to no more than 3.5 per cent (the threshold for a referendum).

Here is the latest list of Town halls proposing Council Tax rises (those that have already voted through the rise at council are marked with a *).

*Surrey County (Con) 2.99 %
Nottingham City (Lab) 3.4 %
*Chelmsford Borough (Con) 2.46 %
Gravesham BC (Lab) 3.48 %
Cambridgeshire County (Con) 2.95 %
Gedling Borough (Lab) 3.4 %
Peterborough City (Con) 2.95 %
York City (Lab) 2.9 %
Preston City Council (Lab) 3.5 %
Stoke-on-Trent City (Lab) 3.49 %
East Cambridgeshire (Con) 2.95 %
Stockton-On-Tees Borough (Lab) 3.5 %
Darlington BC (Lab) 3.5 %
Chesterfield BC (Lab) 3.5 %
Middlesbrough (Lab) 3.5 %
Leicester City (Lab) 3.5 %
Redcar & Cleveland Borough (Lab) 3.5 %
Brighton & Hove City (Green) 3.5 %
Tunbridge Wells BC (Con) 3.3 %
Richmondshire (Lib/Ind) 3 %
*South Hams (Con) 2.5 %
*West Devon (Con) 2.5 %
Lichfied Distrcit Council (Con) 3.4 %
Luton BC (Lab) 3.44 %
Barrow BC (Lab) 3.49 %
North Dorset (Con) 3.49 %
Dover DC (Con) 3.45 %
South Ribble BC (Con) 2.5 %
Epsom & Ewell BC (NOC) 2.5 %
Babergh District Council (NOC) 3.5 %
Tonbridge and Malling (Con) 2.9%
Telford and Wrekin Council (Lab) 2.5%
Allerdale BC (NOC) 2.9%
St Helens  Council (Lab) 2.0%
East Hampshire DC (Con) 2.5%
Huntingdonshire District Council (Con)

Scarborough BC and Taunton Deane BC have both previously proposed to raise Council Tax but have now publicly stated that they intend to freeze it.

**UPDATE1 ** 24/2

Brighton have been removed from the list but Tonbridge and Malling BC and Telford and Wrekin Council have been added to those proposing rises.

**UPDATE 2** 27/2

Two more to add to the list of those proposing rises Allerdale and St Helens

**UPDATE 3** 28/2

ConservativeHome have a news item on the 15 Tory Councils putting up council tax. That adds two more to the list: East Hampshire District Council 2.5 % and Huntingdonshire District Council 3.5% (the first Conservative council to choose the maximum referendum-ducking amount), Chesterfield and North Dorset have announced they are freezing Council Tax

 

UPDATED 28/02/2012

A number of councils in England have announced that they will hike Council Tax at a time when many residents are struggling with the rising cost of living. So far 30 33  35 local authorities are choosing to reject an offer of extra money to help fund a freeze this year and are instead passing the burden entirely onto local residents. Council Tax is second only to VAT as the most burdensome tax for the poorest households. Most local authorities have chosen to freeze rates while some, like the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, have chosen to help local families by cutting rates.A number are proposing the highest possible increase in tax while dodging a referendum by keeping the increase to no more than 3.5 per cent (the threshold for a referendum).

Here is the latest list of Town halls proposing Council Tax rises (those that have already voted through the rise at council are marked with a *).

*Surrey County (Con) 2.99 %
Nottingham City (Lab) 3.4 %
*Chelmsford Borough (Con) 2.46 %
Gravesham BC (Lab) 3.48 %
Cambridgeshire County (Con) 2.95 %
Gedling Borough (Lab) 3.4 %
Peterborough City (Con) 2.95 %
York City (Lab) 2.9 %
Preston City Council (Lab) 3.5 %
Stoke-on-Trent City (Lab) 3.49 %
East Cambridgeshire (Con) 2.95 %
Stockton-On-Tees Borough (Lab) 3.5 %
Darlington BC (Lab) 3.5 %
Chesterfield BC (Lab) 3.5 %
Middlesbrough (Lab) 3.5 %
Leicester City (Lab) 3.5 %
Redcar & Cleveland Borough (Lab) 3.5 %
Brighton & Hove City (Green) 3.5 %
Tunbridge Wells BC (Con) 3.3 %
Richmondshire (Lib/Ind) 3 %
*South Hams (Con) 2.5 %
*West Devon (Con) 2.5 %
Lichfied Distrcit Council (Con) 3.4 %
Luton BC (Lab) 3.44 %
Barrow BC (Lab) 3.49 %
North Dorset (Con) 3.49 %
Dover DC (Con) 3.45 %
South Ribble BC (Con) 2.5 %
Epsom & Ewell BC (NOC) 2.5 %
Babergh District Council (NOC) 3.5 %
Tonbridge and Malling (Con) 2.9%
Telford and Wrekin Council (Lab) 2.5%
Allerdale BC (NOC) 2.9%
St Helens  Council (Lab) 2.0%
East Hampshire DC (Con) 2.5%
Huntingdonshire District Council (Con)

Scarborough BC and Taunton Deane BC have both previously proposed to raise Council Tax but have now publicly stated that they intend to freeze it.

**UPDATE1 ** 24/2

Brighton have been removed from the list but Tonbridge and Malling BC and Telford and Wrekin Council have been added to those proposing rises.

**UPDATE 2** 27/2

Two more to add to the list of those proposing rises Allerdale and St Helens

**UPDATE 3** 28/2

ConservativeHome have a news item on the 15 Tory Councils putting up council tax. That adds two more to the list: East Hampshire District Council 2.5 % and Huntingdonshire District Council 3.5% (the first Conservative council to choose the maximum referendum-ducking amount), Chesterfield and North Dorset have announced they are freezing Council Tax