UK council plotting 160% council tax hike in highest increase in English history

It would be the highest council tax hike in English history

The tax hike is set to be the highest in England’s history. 

About 327,500 people live in the borough, as shown from a 2021 census. 

The government announced a cut in funding for Wandsworth, as a wider plan to redistribute money into more deprived areas. 

The council is run by a minority Conservative administration, after Labour lost its grip on the borough in May.

Wandsworth is now projected to receive a 40% cut, or £84 million less than it previously had.

The £84 million deduction will be spread out until 2030.

With inflation confirmed at 2.9%, households are looking at bill increases to add to their financial duties.

If approved, the tax hike will take place from April 2027.

Simon Hogg, the Wandsworth Labour leader said: “When Labour ran Wandsworth Council we had the lowest council tax in the country.”

The highest tax increase allowed without a referendum couldn’t surpass 5%. However, council tax can go up more than 5% without a referendum with central government approval.

The leader added that they also had “the highest reserves of any neighbouring borough and no external debt.

“The new Conservative administration has brought chaos. They are extreme and divided and clearly don’t have a plan for how to run the council.

“The Conservatives are pretending the council has run out of money so they can bring in austerity policies. 

They’ve already cut domestic abuse services, scrapped the youth bus and axed new council homes for 400 local people.

“They now intend to massively increase council tax. It beggars belief that Wandsworth Conservatives are planning Britain’s biggest ever council tax increase.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing said in a statement: “The flexibility given to Wandsworth Council is time limited and we’re making £278million available for them by 2028-29.”