District councils say they are being starved of cash while county authorities, the police and parishes are being allowed to raise their bills, causing a ‘devastating’ impact on services.
The finding comes from a survey by the District Councils Network (DCN) which says it raises questions about the resources available to provide local services including waste collection, leisure and environmental services.
The survey revealed that 77% of district councils are raising council tax by the maximum possible amount, or very close to it, with an average increase of 10p.
But they were only allowed to increase their council tax bills by 3% this year while other types of authorities were able to increase bills by more.
The network is calling for extra financial freedom to compensate for the districts’ loss of revenue since the pandemic.
Peter Fleming, the DCN’s finance spokesman, said: ‘Council tax bills may be sent out by districts and carry your district council’s logo but district councils are getting an ever lower proportion of the revenue they raise, with a devastating impact on the services that matter the most to residents and are provided to everyone.
‘While county councils, the police and parish councils were permitted to increase their portions of bills by a far higher percentage than district councils, our universal services are being starved of cash, with a below inflation cap on any increase, damaging our communities and our ability to steer are places through these difficult times.’
