THAT’S A BIT RICH
Westminster townhouse has cheaper council tax than a Scots semi
Super- rich owners of multimillion pound properties in London are paying less council tax than hard working Scottish families.
Local authorities in Glasgow and Edinburgh both hiked up their annual charges by almost five per cent last week.
And a Sunday Mail investigation has revealed it leaves residents in modest semi-detached properties in both cities paying more than those in Britain’s most expensive mansions.
Band E houses – which includes thousands of ordinary homes valued between just £58,000 and £80,000 in 1991 – will now carry a council tax charge of £1815 in Glasgow, while Edinburgh comes in slightly lower at £1758.
Meanwhile, in the City of Westminster, where townhouses regularly change hands for more than £ 30million, the top band H payment is just £1507. It means hundreds of high- end properties being marketed for tens of millions of pounds on the Rightmove website can be snapped up by wealthy buyers who will pay less to their local authority than thousands of ordinary Scottish homeowners.
Kevin Dineen has lived in Mayfield Avenue in Clarkston, Glasgow, for nine years. His traditional semi- detached home falls under council tax band E and costs £220 a month in council tax, water and sewage charges.
Kevin, 42, a contract manager for Barratt Homes, said: “This is a nice area but we probably shouldn’t be paying the same rate of council tax as certain areas of London.
“London is London. It’s very different. I already pay £220 a month and an increase
in council tax isn’t welcome. The bin collection is fine here but the roads are in a terrible state. We don’t seem to see much return for the council tax we already pay.”
Glasgow City Council said: “Comparing Glasgow and Westminster in this way is not a like- for- l ike comparison, g iven the difference in population, demographics and range of services in each local authority area.”
Scottish councils have the power to raise council tax by up to 4.8 per cent this year.
Last week, Glasgow’s SNP administration set the rise at 4.64 per cent, whi le Edinburgh’s SNP-Labour coalition agreed a 4.79 per cent increase.
Other councils are likely to follow suit in the coming weeks as they set budgets ahead of the new financial year on April 1.
Despite the rise in council tax charges, Glasgow’s leaders also proposed cost cutting measures including the closure of an outdoor centre and the introduction of bulk upl i f t charges. In Edinburgh, councillors were also faced with the need to save £87million over the next three years.
The local authority said it would use the money from the council tax rise to invest in key areas such as new schools.
Its budget also included a pledge to spend £196million developing former industrial land in the Granton area of the city.
In the City of Westminster, a voluntary “Community Contribution” scheme was introduced in 2018.
It means those living in the highest council tax band – the most expensive properties in the borough – can volunteer to pay double the amount they normally would or volunteer another amount.
The extra money is used for youth clubs, homelessness and tackling isolation.
However, after several months of the scheme running, uptake was reported to be less than two per cent.
The City of Westminster is home to some of Britain’s most expensive properties.
Despite its well-heeled residents, it charges among the lowest council tax rates in the county.
For a home in the middle band D, residents pay an annual total of just £754.
In September, a four-bedroom apartment at Whitehall Place sold to a buyer from Hong Kong for £10.75million – more than £2903 per square foot.
Last year, flats at No1 Palace Street in a Grade II-listed former hotel overlooking Buckingham Palace went on the market for £ 2.55million to £ 30million – with 39 sold off-plan to buyers from 10 countries.
The Sunday Mail also spoke to residents in Newton Mearnsn, near Glasgow, with many saying they were shocked by rocketing council tax bills.
One mum, who asked not to be named, said: “We moved to this area because we were told the schools were excellent.
“However, it turns out the schools are just like the rest of the schools in Scotland with slashed budgets and resources. Between rent and council tax, we already pay well over £1000 to live in a two-bedroom house. Council tax is going up again is terrible news.
“The roads are not in good condition and the bins are not emptied nearly enough.
“I’d like to know where the council tax I already pay actually goes.”
Another resident, who lives in a modern two-bedroom townhouse, said: “People in this area already pay high council tax rates.
“Now, to hear they’re going up even more is bad news for the area. It’s appalling actually, because it means that some families will be pushed financially that bit extra every month while others might even have to move.
“For those selling their house, a council tax rise isn’t happy news either because it can out price potential property buyers when they take into consideration house price and other bills.”
Between rent and council tax we already pay well over £1000 to live in a twobedroom house