Vale MP Alun Cairns has described the 3.9% increase in council tax announced by the Vale of Glamorgan council as “astonishing”. The increase is eight times the Bank of England rate of inflation (0.5% Dec 2014), and the Vale MP has criticised the council for not reassessing levels of spending before putting up bills.
Mr Cairns had previously called on the authority to freeze council tax, and the Council also refused to form a delegation to approach the Finance Minister in the Welsh Government for a fairer funding settlement.
Mr Cairns said: “I am alarmed that the local authority has raised council tax again this year, on top of the punishing increases in the last couple of years. Local residents will quite rightly be wondering where these increases end? We have had major increases since 2012, and now a further 3.9% this year.
He added: “I have campaigned for many years for a fairer funding settlement for the Vale and I invite people again to sign up to my campaign. I am frustrated that residents living in the Vale have been hit again when many councils across Britain have frozen bills for several years.”