While the Council Tax freeze (or cuts) have taken off most strongly in London there has been some encouraging news from the rest of England reaching my Inbox. The councils in Surrey are doing particularly well as recorded in the post below but we also have Conservative- run Amber Valley which is freezing the Council Tax – the first time there has been no increase in the Council Tax or its earlier equivalents in the 36 year history of the Council. The move came after shedding 70 posts at the Town Hall. Opposition Labour councillors attacked the decision…and then abstained on the vote.
Hertsmere has announced a freeze which means no increase at all in residents bills as Hertfordshire County Council had already announced a freeze.
Broxbourne's freeze means their share of the Band D bill will remain at just £113.24p.
Two or three years ago the number of councils freezing or cutting was only a handul – scracely reaching double figures across the whole country. Even among those rare examples it was sometimes because they were about to be abolished to be absorbed into a unitary authority and were using up reserves.