Steepest rise in council tax for 14 years as town halls feel the pinch

HOUSEHOLDERS IN England face the steepest rise in council tax for 14 years – adding an extra £81 to their bills, a survey has found.

The annual study by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa) said the planned hikes show the pressure councils are under to make ends meet.

Average band D bills in England are set to rise by 5.1 per cent from £1,591 in 2017/18 to £1,672 in 2018/19. In Wales, households face a £72 rise to £1,492.

Authorities in Rotherham, Wakefield, Sheffield, Kirklees, the East Riding of Yorkshire and Bradford are among those to raise their share of council tax by 5.99 per cent as part of the budget-setting process in recent weeks.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) insisted it recognised the pressures on services but also the “importance of keeping bills down”.

Cipfa chief executive Rob Whiteman said: “This sharp rise in council tax across the country reflects the enormous financial pressures many local authorities are currently under.

“Local government has made by far the biggest efficiencies in the public sector since 2010, but now it feels like crunch time, with the consequences of earlier funding cuts really beginning to bite.” He added it was “time for an honest conversation about what services councils should realistically be expected to deliver”. The Cipfa findings showed wide variations between different parts of England.