Greenwich council tax to rise by five per cent

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Greenwich residents will see a 4.99 per cent increase in their council tax this year, bringing a further £6.7m of income to the council.

The change comes after the Government increased the amount local councils could raise taxes without a referendum to 4.99 per cent last November.

The figure includes a 2.99 per cent increase in main council tax and a 2 per cent increase in adult social care.

In council documents, officers said the council faced about £150m of cost pressures from “over a decade of government austerity”.

Labour councillor Anthony Okereke, leader of the council, said at the meeting: “We can’t divorce ourselves from the funding that we receive from central government, and the opposition cannot distance themselves from the decision-making of 13 years of Tory government cuts. That’s why we’re in this situation.”

Responding to the council leader, Conservative Councillor Matt Hartley, leader of the opposition, said the Labour budget was filled with “new teams, new projects, new spending”.

He added: “And that’s because, despite Labour councillors’ claims, the funding Greenwich has received from central government for this coming year has been much more than the administration expected.”

Pictured top: Woolwich Town Hall (Picture: Joe Coughlan)