Bills for council tax rocket over decade

Taxpayers in the West Midlands are handing over hundreds of thousands of pounds more a year in council tax after a decade under Labour, the Tories claimed today.

They collated figures showing revenue collected by councils through council tax – and the real terms increase in tax bills when inflation rises over the 10 years have been taken into account. Tories say one of the worst hit areas is South Staffordshire, where council tax revenue rose in real terms by 69 per cent. Tapayers in Wyre Forest contribute £42.5m – an extra £22.6m.

There has been a 64 per cent real terms increase in Cannock Chase and a 62 per cent real terms rise in Stafford to £56.5m.

Billing authorities across the Black Country have seen their gross tax receipts go up too, with Walsall showing the largest rise once inflation has been taken into account at 49 per cent. The amount in Birmingham has risen in real terms by 21 per cent to almost £264m.

Council tax bills are based on property values on April 1, 1991 – and pay for services such as police and rubbish collections.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: "Town halls up and down the country have been making enormous efforts to keep bills down. But that has been made more difficult by the fact that over the years governments have shifted extra costs on councils while limiting the amount of funds from central government."

Many councils are now making cuts to keep council tax bills for 2010 down. Wolverhampton says it wants no increase at all.