Wandsworth Council is reportedly considering a council tax increase of up to 160%, which would be the largest ever in England. The council has already been granted permission to raise bills above the standard cap after the government announced a cut in its funding as part of wider plans to redistribute cash toward more deprived regions.
Funding cut and record increase
Wandsworth, run by a minority Conservative administration after Labour lost control in May, is projected to receive £84 million less a year from Whitehall by the end of the decade, a 40% reduction in funding. The news of a potential bumper council tax increase comes as households continue to struggle with the cost of living, with inflation confirmed to have risen to 2.9% last month.
Wandsworth, in southwest London, currently has the lowest Band D council tax bills at approximately £1,028 per year, compared to the average Band D bill across England of £2,392. If approved, council tax in Wandsworth would be hiked from April 2027 and then frozen for the rest of the term, according to Parliament website PoliticsHome.
Political reaction and context
The maximum amount most councils in England can normally raise bills without a referendum is 5%. Wandsworth Labour leader Simon Hogg said: “When Labour ran Wandsworth Council we had the lowest council tax in the country, 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.”
Decision pending and other councils
It is understood that a final decision has not yet been made. Wandsworth Council declined to comment. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Decisions on whether to increase council tax are ultimately for local authorities to make and justify but we continue to expect any decisions to put taxpayers first.”
“The flexibility given to Wandsworth Council is time limited and we’re making £278 million available for them by 2028-29.”
The biggest council tax increases before this were by North Somerset, Shropshire and Worcestershire, who were all given special permission to enforce a 9% rise this April. Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, and City of London, alongside Windsor and Maidenhead, have also been granted permission to increase council tax by more than 5% from next April. The Telegraph reported earlier this month that Westminster council is considering raising council tax by 100%.
