Cheshire West and Chester Conservative Group have derided the vote at the Thursday 17 October 2024 Full Council Meeting, where the Labour-run Council refused to debate a motion confirming a referendum should be held if the Council intended to raise council tax by 5% or more each year.
The motion, proposed by Councillor Charles Hardy (Tarporley, Con), noted that since 2015, Cheshire West and Chester’s council tax had risen 47.7%, significantly higher than the Bank of England inflation figures, and aimed to resolve that any proposed increase of council tax above 4.99% would still be subject to a local referendum, regardless of policy changes that may be brought in by the Labour government in Westminster.
Speaking before the meeting, Councillor Hardy said: “Since Labour has taken control of Cheshire West Council in 2015, they have taxed to the max, by raising council tax by the highest permissible amount each year. With a likely policy change coming as part of the upcoming Budget, in order to provide certainty for residents, we ask that Council resolves to agree that any proposed increase in council tax of 5% or above are still subject to a public vote, regardless of whatever changes might be brought in by central government.”
Planning to speak to urge the retention of the current policy, Councillor Graham Heatley (Gowy Rural, Con), who seconded the motion, described his aim to “protect residents from undue burden”, and “provide certainty for the many local residents who need to be able to plan for the future.”
With the vote refusing to even debate committing Cheshire West and Chester Council to a referendum should they chose to raise council tax by 5% or more each year, the Cheshire West Conservative Group Leader, Councillor Lynn Gibbon (Marbury, Con) reacted by saying afterwards that:
“We are furious that Labour refused to even debate the idea of providing certainty for residents. With this commitment, residents would have been able to have their say on the heavy burden they are asked to fund each year and incentivises council to keep tax increases low.”
“Now, if the national policy changes, Labour could have a free-for-all to dip their hands into residents’ pockets for far more than their fair share. Yet they refuse to even debate this important point in public! While the last Conservative Council Administration kept tax low, we will continue to oppose Labour-run Cheshire West Council’s policy of tax to the max.”
