Blackpool Tories attack council tax increase as bills set to rise

The council’s executive is being recommended to approve the increase in the council’s share of the charge, up from £1,618 this year, when it meets on Thursday February 25.

While band D is held up as the average band, almost three quarters of properties in Blackpool are in the lower value bands A and B, meaning the average council tax payable per dwelling will be £892, or £1,052 with the precepts.

Councillors are also being asked to approve spending on services of £149m for the coming year, which includes £63m of government funding.

The council’s Labour controlled administration says it has no option but to increase council tax by 4.9 per cent which is the maximum allowed.

But the resort’s Tories have criticised the move, which comes as council tenants will also see their rents rise by 1.5 per cent from April.

Coun Tony Williams, leader of the Conservative group, said: “The council has failed to meet its own savings targets for the last financial year and it has seriously overspent in many operational areas.

“This in turn has created a large budget shortfall for the forthcoming year.


They are now ‘bleeding’ the town’s residents with higher taxes and housing rents to try and support their failings and mismanagement.”

Blackpool South Conservative MP Scott Benton has written to the council saying it had received “unprecedented additional funding” from the Government during the Covid pandemic

Mr Benton warned many working families would be unable to afford the increase and further savings could be made including a pay freeze for senior officers and savings on councillors’ allowances.

But council leader Coun Lynn Williams has previously said the council has “no choice than to increase council tax” because repeated government cuts had left gaps totalling £166m since 2010.

She said: “Our central Government settlement makes the assumption that we will be required to increase council tax to the maximum level in order to protect vital services.”

The final council tax figure will be calculated once the police and fire service precepts are known.

* Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here