Parties clash over Solihull council tax plan

PLANS to overhaul Solihull’s council tax policy amounts to a “senseless” attack on the borough’s most vulnerable residents, a Chelmsley Wood councillor has claimed.
The proposals, which were put out to consultation last month, would leave those on low incomes facing a 15 per cent increase in their bills from April next year.
Coun James Burn, who leads the cohort of Green Party councillors, said that the strategy was a major mistake in a borough where there are already high levels of inequality.
“This plan isn’t just incredibly unfair, it’s also illogical,” he said. “Putting more pressure on the most vulnerable will only mean they have to use council and health services more, which will just cost taxpayers more in the long run.
“Raiding the back pockets of the most vulnerable cannot be a fair or sensible way to boost council coffers.”
He has made the case that if the proposals go ahead, residents in his own ward - the poorest in Solihull - would pay twice the council tax of those living just over the border in North Warwickshire.
Three years ago, the Government made local authorities responsible for running their own schemes to help the poorest meet the costs of council tax.
Solihull Council has argued that up until now it has been one of just 41 local authorities nationwide (out of 326) which has not implemented any major changes.
Now however, with budgets coming under growing pressure, the Conservative-run administration argues that the current Council Tax Reduction Scheme has become “unsustainable.”
Councillor Robert Hulland, the cabinet member for resources and delivering value, said: “In the three years since the scheme was introduced we have already made savings of nearly £30 million.
“As Government funding is further reduced, we must look closely at all areas of spending.”
The 12-week consultation will run until October 2 and a final decision is due to be made in December.