London’s council tax rises are lowest in the country

HOUSEHOLDERS across London are getting the lowest average council tax rise in the country this year. They’re forking out a 1.2 per cent increase—which is less than half the national average increase of three per cent

HOUSEHOLDS in London are getting the lowest average council tax rise in the country this year.

They’re forking out a modest 1.2 per cent increase—less than half the national average of three per cent.

The figures come from the annual survey by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy released this-morning (Friday), showing the rest of the country suffering much worse hypes than London.

The survey, carried out with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, analysed the tax bills of three-out-of-four local authorities in England and Wales, including London, amid tight Government funding restrictions and the continuing economic world recession.

“This year’s council tax in London has been extraordinarily difficult to reach,” the chartered institute’s chief Steve Freer revealed.

“Town halls want to minimise tax increases to ease the burden on hard-pressed households.

“But there is pressure to maintain vital services to support families and communities through the economic downturn.”

That could mean staff cuts and reduced public services to balance the books, he adds, which are “the harsh realities of managing services in a difficult climate.”

The average Band-D property in London—Europe’s most expensive capital to live in before the recession hit—faces a 1.2 per cent rise in council tax bills on April 1, at �1,308 compared to �1,292 last year. City Hall’s average share of the kitty is almost �1,000.