Croydon council tax payers facing three per cent rise on top of rent hikes

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

Croydon residents will be hit with a rise in council tax and rents from next month.

Council leader Councillor Hamida Ali said the price hike was “one of the most difficult decisions to make” as people face a cost of living crisis.

The authority voted to increase council tax by 2.99 per cent at a council meeting last week. The total annual cost for a Band D property will be £1,965 – up from £1,888 in 2021/22.

This includes the Greater London Authority precept, which will rise by 8.8 per cent and is equivalent to almost £1.50 more a week.

The increase will come into force in April, at the same time council tenants will see a 4.1 per cent rent increase. On average, weekly rents for a two-bed home will rise from £110.88 to £115.42.

At Croydon’s budget council meeting, Councillor Callton Young, cabinet member for resources and financial governance said: “The council was faced with a challenge like none before and has, under new leadership, been able to stabilise our finances while protecting the most vulnerable in our borough.”

The Conservative opposition proposed an amendment to the budget, to “bring Purley pool back to life, return it to its status as a much loved and needed local facility, to provide again a suitable place for schoolchildren to learn how to swim and to properly respond to the needs of local residents.”

But the motion was not backed with cabinet member for culture and regeneration, Cllr Oliver Lewis, arguing the proposal was a “short-term sticking plaster not a long-term plan”.

(Picture: Pixabay)