Council tax for households in England will rise by 4.5% on average from April, meaning some communities face a £75.60 hike.
The increases are a reflection of “incredible pressures” faced by local authorities and the police, according to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa), who carried out the study.
– The institute found a planned average increase of 4.5% for Band D households in 2019/20. This is the second highest council tax rise in the last decade.
– Of the authorities in England which responded, 301 of 312 said they would increase their council tax.
Households in Greater London are expected to see the highest percentage increase in their bills at 5.1%.
Cipfa chief executive Rob Whiteman said: “The extent of the rises across the country are a reflection of the incredible fiscal pressure faced by local authorities and police.
“Without a bolder vision from government, the future of these services is increasingly being put at risk.”
Whiteman said Theresa May’s claim that austerity is coming to an end is “clearly not the case” yet for local authorities, who have faced significant cuts to spending over the last 10 years.
He added that without the rise, councils would not be able to meet the rising demand for for services such as adult, and increasingly, children’s social care.
A Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “We are investing in Britain’s future by providing local authorities with access to £45.1bn this year – increasing to £46.4bn next year – to meet the needs of their residents.
“Councils, not central government, are responsible for managing their own resources. Taxpayers can veto excessive increases via a local referendum.”
Shadow communities secretary Andrew Gwynne said: “Almost nine years of cuts have devastated our local government services and, instead of providing sufficient council funding, central government is attempting to shift the burden on to struggling families.
“The government must provide genuinely new money to fund our public services for the long term.”