It is a part of a plan put forward by Angela Rayner when she ran the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Residents living in parts of the UK could face a massive tax hike (Image: Getty)
Residents living in parts of the UK could face a massive tax hike of up to £250 as part of Angela Rayner’s controversial plan to make “mega councils”. As a result of this plan, many areas of rural and suburban England could see tax hikes of up to £250.
An analysis by the District Councils’ Network suggests that the average Band D bill in a council area with more than 500,000 people stands at £2,009, while those with smaller populations pay £1,759. Last year, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), which was led by Ms Rayner until her resignation following revelations that she had underpaid stamp duty on her Hove property, put forward proposals aimed at streamlining local government.
Middle England faces council tax hikes, it has been revealed. (Image: Getty)
The initiative, described as introducing “simpler structures,” was intended by its promoters to reduce bureaucratic complexity and improve efficiency in the delivery of public services.
Local councils in 21 areas across southern England and the Midlands, where services are currently split between county and district councils, were told to suggest ways to merge into single, larger authorities, reports the Daily Mail.
These new bodies, nicknamed “mega councils” by critics, are expected to serve at least 500,000 people, although smaller versions have also been considered.
Despite Ms Rayner stepping down, the government still supports the plan, which could lead to council tax rises of up to £250 for people living in rural and suburban parts of the country.
Sam Chapman-Allen, chairman of the District Councils’ Network, said: “We are told that reorganisation should cut costs, but the evidence shows huge unitary councils, like those the Government envisages, land their residents with bigger council tax bills.”
Sir James Cleverly, the Tories‘ local government spokesman, added: “Labour always thinks bigger government means better government.
“In reality, it means top-down restructuring that ignores local opinion, tramples over geography and identity, and lands families with higher bills, while there has been no evidence this approach will deliver better services.”
An MHCLG spokesman said: “Councils decide their own tax levels every year with a referendum threshold for proposed increases in place to protect taxpayers. The research cited has clearly misunderstood this basic concept.”
