Londoners face the biggest rise in council tax bills as rates set to rise from April

Council tax bills across England are set to rise by an average of 4.5 per cent from April, with the steepest hike coming in London, new research suggests.

From the start of the financial year in April, households across Britain will see an average increase of £75.60 in the yearly Band D council tax bill, according to a new survey carried out by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa).

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Bills in greater London will see a rise of 5.1 per cent, higher than any other region, although London’s council tax remains lower than the rest of England’s.

Cipfa’s council tax survey was based on the results of a questionnaire sent to local authorities that saw 312 respondents in England, out of which 301 said they will be increasing their council tax rates.

There are large discrepancies between the regions, however.

Londoners will pay on average £1,476 in 2019/20, CIPFA said. The next cheapest bill will be in the west Midlands, at £1,732. The north east will pay the most, at £1,884.

The tax hike will be the second biggest in 10 years, after last year’s average rise of 5.1 per cent.

Cipfa chief executive Rob Whiteman called the rises “a reflection of the incredible fiscal pressure faced by local authorities and police”.

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“Local authorities have faced the most significant cuts to spending over the last ten years, and despite the government’s announcement that austerity is ending, for local authorities this is clearly not the case”, he added. “Long term they remain in an unsustainable position.”

“Council tax is regressive, and increasingly divorced from the reality of property values”, he said.