Hounslow Council votes for maximum council tax hike

Hounslow Council has hiked tax by the maximum amount as locals face a cost of living boom.

This month the council voted to raise council tax by 2.99 per cent, the maximum any local authority can increase council tax without locals' permission.

The council's decision, which comes into force on April 1, was made as increases in the cost of energy, groceries and inflation are combining with hikes to National Insurance to create a national cost of living crisis, with estimates that as many as a quarter of all households could be living in fuel poverty by the end of the year.

Under the budget plans approved by Hounslow Council, council tax charges for an average Band D property will rise from £1702.23 per year to £1774.18. In total, Hounslow Council expects to raise £119.6 million from council tax across the 2022/23 financial year.

Many councils across the country have chosen to raise council tax charges this year in response to inflation, alongside the ongoing economic repercussions of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Alongside their decision to increase council tax, Hounslow Council voted to amend the structure of the Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme that will see the support scheme move to a banded system based on the monthly income of residents.

Speaking at the meeting, Conservative members of the opposition criticised the council tax hike. Cllr Gerald MacGregor said: "Nobody should be in poverty in Hounslow, in London, in the 21st century, and that does not mean weighing them down with taxation.

"We see that [progressive agenda] missing in that deliberate failure to support the lowest-paid and the most poverty-stricken from actually ending up paying council tax. It's not good enough, it's not fair enough."

The new council tax charges will come into force April 1. At the meeting, alongside increases to council tax charges, Hounslow Council decided to invest in improvements to local infrastructure such as parks and transport schemes.

Additionally, the council agreed to allocate £1 million towards providing residents and businesses in the borough with wheelie bins for recycling.

Hounslow Council's finance lead Shantanu Rajawat said: "With inflation jumping to the highest level in 30 years, this budget outlines the need to be financially prudent whilst maintaining vital services that protect the most vulnerable residents.

"Although this budget includes a Council Tax rise, it is important to add that our Council Tax is still significantly below the national average and the rise will be about 77p a week on average."