Cheshire West and Chester Conservative Councillors have raised further concerns about possible changes to council tax - which may be announced as soon as the Chancellor's Budget this week - which will affect thousands of residents in the borough.
Councillor Simon Eardley (Saughall and Mollington, Con) has received concerning answers to questions he posed to the Full Council meeting on 17th October 2024 on the single persons’ occupancy discount of 25%, and the retention of the cap on council tax increases before a local referendum is triggered.
Responding to the answers, Cllr Eardley said:
"The direction of travel is clear here. The Leader of the Council wouldn't even agree to debate whether or not the 5% cap on council tax increases before being required to 'put it to the people' should stay. Now in the reply I've received, it seems clear to me that her administration wants to see it go so they can raise even more money from hard-pressed working people and taxpayers in the borough. Since Labour took control of Cheshire West in 2015, every single year they've increased council tax to the maximum possible - by nearly 50%. Residents can't take any more of these rises, not least because they don't see an improvement in services as a result.
“In my own ward, there are chronic problems with drainage, flooding, poorly maintained pavements, roads resembling rubble strips, unreadable road signs that are essential for safety and many, many more issues. Progress is desperately slow to address these problems, but the rate of council tax increasing is certainly not. Labour needs to do better, not penalise people further.”
Cllr Charles Hardy (Tarporley, Con), Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance and Legal, said:
"This Labour administration's approach to council tax is unacceptable and unsustainable for our residents. As soon as they could, they started to impose massive council tax increases on residents right across the borough - taxing to the maximum possible every year. Now we face the prospect of even further increases way above inflation, possibly even in double figures. If you are a single person, currently benefiting from the 25% discount, this looks almost certain to be scrapped too - it will be if Labour councillors and the Labour government get their way. This isn't good enough.
“We will continue to hold Labour to account locally by demanding better value for money for the taxes already paid, whilst campaigning to ensure any future increases are kept as low as possible."
Following Full Council, Cllr Eardley received the following responses from Cllr Louise Gittins (Little Neston and Ness, Lab), the Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, as well as Chair of the national body, the Local Government Association.
QUESTION 9, From Councillor Simon Eardley.
The Local Government Association (LGA) Economy and Resources Board, has urged the Chancellor of the Exchequer to scrap the five per cent yearly council tax rise cap. Given the Leader of the Council chairs the LGA, will she confirm whether or not she is pressing HM Government to implement this change?
ANSWER 9, From Councillor Louise Gittins.
The LGA alongside six other representative bodies wrote to the chancellor ahead of the 30th October Budget in respect of sustainable funding for Council Services This letter set out a series of areas that Government should consider to support councils in 2026/27 and beyond including additional freedoms and flexibilities relating to council tax, business rates and sales, fees and charges. Where the sector has identified measures that could be introduced for 2025/26 then these should be implemented immediately.
QUESTION 10, From Councillor Simon Eardley.
Will the Leader of the Council confirm whether or not she is lobbying HM Government to scrap the single person (25%) discount to council tax?
ANSWER 10, From Councillor Louise Gittins.
The Council’s position is that local authorities should have the flexibility to review the level of council tax discounts and disregards, which at present are not means tested. This would provide further flexibility to ensure an equitable and affordable system is in place.
