Wandsworth council is set to be the only local authority in the country to be reducing council tax bills.
Yesterday, at a meeting of the Finance, Resources and Climate Sustainability Overview and Scrutiny Committee, councillors proposed a net 1% decrease in Wandsworth’s share of council tax.
In contrast, around half of London boroughs will be raising council tax by over £70 per household.
‘We are really proud of our decades-long record of making sure that the residents of Wandsworth pay the lowest average council tax and I’m proud to be leading the only London council likely to cut council tax this year,’ said Cllr Ravi Govindia, leader of the council.
‘I know the impact that the pandemic has had on our residents and when you factor in the current cost of living difficulties that people are facing, with rising heating and fuel bills, we just couldn’t, as a local council, heap further financial burdens onto people who are already struggling.’
Cabinet member for finance, corporate resources and climate sustainability Cllr Kim Caddy, said: ‘Low council tax is synonymous with Wandsworth because of the efforts this council goes to in looking after its money properly and most importantly of all looking out for our residents. We hope that these proposals will really help make a difference and help residents keep their household costs down as we all continue to emerge from the pandemic.’
Update: Harlow Council has also agreed to reduce council tax for all residents by up to £50 a year.
