Forum Topic

Council Tax 2027

From yesterday's Council Meeting a report from PuyneyNews ths morning.https://putney.news/2026/09/16/council-tax-will-double-in-april-up-by-an-average-of-1000/Be prepared for our council tax to almost double from next May (mine is currently Band F and includes the Commons levy). It will go from £1534 to £2917! Lovely situation to be in while my income, like most pensioners, is a fixed one.Anyone  know what we can do to stop this happening, other than to refuse to pay it?

Lucille Grant ● 44d24 Comments

The report in Putney News says that, according to the Wandsworth head of finance, the increases will go ahead "unless central government reverses its funding cuts." Is the report alarmist (it certainly is alarming!) in an attempt to pressure the government to reverse the cuts? This saga has a long way to go....

Richard Carter ● 44d

Is there an equivalent of ‘regrexit’ to signify remorse at having voted Labour last time - ‘laborse’ perhaps?

Steven Rose ● 44d

https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/news-september-2026/council-tax-will-need-to-rise-unless-government-thinks-again/scary numbers

Adam Tripp ● 44d

Please fill in this survey to make your views known - it takes 5 mins: https://yourprioritiesforwandsworth.commonplace.is/en-GB/proposals/understanding-resident-values-and-priorities/step1

Laura Kaye ● 44d

@Steven 08.44I would think so Steven although they would never admit it.  However I am sure there will be some salty tears shed in West Putney when Labour’s Mansion Tax hits home.

Sue Hammond ● 44d

Mr Carter'The report in Putney News says that, according to the Wandsworth head of finance, the increases will go ahead "unless central government reverses its funding cuts." Is the report alarmist (it certainly is alarming!) in an attempt to pressure the government to reverse the cuts?'Wandsworth Council is currently under No Overall Control, with the Conservatives holding the most seats (29), Labour holding 28, and one Independent councillor.'Looks as if the Conservatives with the Independent, can prevent the rise.Ironic if they do so, what ! Unless of course our Labour MP Fleur Anderson can persuade Burnham that the planned increase is in any case deliberately and discriminately aimed at hitting the rich inhabitants of Wandsworth and he should stop it😉

John Hawkes ● 44d

Ms Hammond' However I am sure there will be some salty tears shed in West Putney when Labour’s Mansion Tax hits home.'Perhaps Mr Carter will move offshore and join the Reform exiles 😁

John Hawkes ● 44d

The huge rise has been rumoured for months and given Wandsworth Council's financial protection inevitable. However, residents should ask themselves what are we getting for the money in the way of keeping Putney clean & tidy & indeed sanitary? The High Street remains filthy including the poor state of the pavements &  litter bins, the parks rely heavily on groups of volunteers & there is a complete lack of public facilities which can be highly inconvenient.

Miles Thompson ● 44d

Now being reported in the Mail online:“Council tax bills in Wandsworth to almost DOUBLE with residents facing £958 a year hike - but local Labour MPs refuse to support challenge to Government's brutal funding cutsWandsworth is historically known as Margaret Thatcher's 'favourite' council. During more than 40 years of Tory control it was viewed as a pioneer of outsourcing services and famous for its ultra-low council tax.The Conservatives lost control of the council to Labour in 2022 until earlier this year, when they formed a minority administration following elections in May.”https://mol.im/a/16135971Those of us living in Thamesfield Ward tried our best to have the Conservatives elected again but all the Labour-voting idiots have brought this onto all of us.🤬

Sue Hammond ● 44d

They have been flagging this for months so it shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Important to look beyond the headlines and note what they are actually saying. This appears to be very much expectations management and the chances are we will get a tax rise of about 30% and the council will ask us to say thank you for the brilliant job they have done in bringing it down. Whether it was ever really going to go up by 94% is open to question.

Peter Higgins ● 44d

lets hope the review paper is a worst case scenario projection and it will not be quite that bad. but, there are some good things in the paper and some questionable ones.undoubtedly the increase provision for adult and childrens services is the biggest spender lets hoped based on his personal circumstance the PM will review the grant allocation in this area. the further review of the Alton regeneration is not unexpected its clear that a regeneration of this size must be jointly funded and must have an element of sales to fund it. But its another 4 years lost on this project in the hands of the last administration. i first worked on alton regeneration in 2005/6 and 20 years later there has been little progress. It needs firm and decisive decision making and acceptance that whatever is done will not please all of the residents a significant number of them being temporary students from the University.  never sure on Homelessness prevention. Sounds good and plausible but how do you measure its success? seen many 'prevention schemes ' over the years but the numbers continue to grow. the rules (nationally) on who can be accepted need changing.the scrapping of the unwanted new build schemes at Ashburton and Lennox will be welcomed by residents of those estates as the densities would have caused problems and the loss of limited amenity space would have been detrimental to the estates. the loss of some of the environmental projects in the capital programme is a regret but that money is better spent on more essential repair and renewal issues.it will be interesting how the next 6 months proceed before the actual Council budget for next year is set.

Andy Pike ● 44d

Well Peter I hope that your cynical prediction comes true …

Sue Hammond ● 44d

Yes it has been mooted for months but the exact sums we are being forced to pay were only published last night/this morning. Has anyone heard from Fleur Anderson with regard to the crippling amount we face paying next year?

Lucille Grant ● 44d

@LucilleI have been aware of the speculations but it would be reassuring to hear from our MP.  Or maybe not.

Sue Hammond ● 44d

See  MP Fleur Anderson's petition against the huge rise: https://wandsworthlabour.uk/council-tax

Miles Thompson ● 44d

In 1976 I bought a house in Lambeth borough.  The rates were £260 a year.  In 1978 the Hard Left, led by Ted Knight took overLambeth Labour and the rates started to escalate. When I escaped in 1981 the rates were £981 a year. What they did with the money, I have no idea. So I have been glad to have lived in Putney all these years

Elizabeth Balsom ● 44d

Its a petition against something the actions of her own government had caused.

Andy Pike ● 44d

There is a petition on this now to sign if your not happy with the rise, also give your views on the high street, or what's annoying you.

Barbara Stevens ● 43d

https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-proposed-160-council-tax-increase-in-wandsworth?signed=trueSaid petition - link above

Miles Thompson ● 43d

The council tax for Wandsworth Band D is just over £1000 compared to the national average of £2300. The main reason is that Wandsworth, being a comparatively rich borough, has many higher band dwellings and fewer claims on social services than a poorer place like Blackpool where the council tax for Band D is £2500. That is the supposed justification for central government wishing to reduce the grant to Wandsworth. The problem is that1) doubling the tax at a year's notice is rather unfair2) not everyone in a wealthy borough is necessarily wealthy3) councils have no incentive to reduce the council tax by efficient management if they are going to be penalised by a reduction in the central grant.Andy Burnham clearly wants to redistribute wealth from the south to the north eg by getting Wandsworth to subsidise Blackpool. The downside to tax hikes of this kind is that they disincentivise wealth creation. Andy Burnham would be better engaged in figuring out how to improve the economy generally rather than robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Steven Rose ● 43d

100% agree Steven. Meanwhile Kemi Badenoch stated today that the Conservative Party is making a legal challenge against this proposed rise of our council tax.

Lucille Grant ● 42d

Ms GrantThis is worth reading.https://order-order.com/2026/09/18/labour-mp-attacks-wandsworth-council-for-making-cuts-after-labour-government-slashed-its-funding-by-half/"Labour MP Attacks Wandsworth Council for Making Cuts After Labour Government Slashed Its Funding by Half".Our MP Fleur Anderson supports PM Burnham's plan to divert Council Tax support from well run boroughs like ours and direct it to grossly mismanaged ones like Birmingham.Then blames the Conservatives !I have yet to receive my email from her explaining the contorted political position she has taken.

John Hawkes ● 42d

Hello Steven and Lucille,I agree with you both and really welcome Kemi Badenoch's initiative.  What I find difficult to understand is the variation of council tax charges across the country.  We all have the same tax bands - they are national and they are mainly based on property valuations from 1 April 1991.  The split in Wnadsworth (and everywhere else) is 50% for the Council and 50% for GLA (or equivalent in each area).  On the whole, I always understood that London property prices were higher than in the country.  I suppose exceptions would be cities like Manchester, Birmingham.  All the same, the discrepancies are enormous and I find it difficult to explain.  Thank you.

Ivonne Holliday ● 42d

The council tax bands were a bit hit and miss.  My mother's small unmodernised 1939 bungalow in Plymouth was put in Band E.  You didn't need to be a Fellow of the RICS to know this was not a Band E property. I urged my mother to object but she wouldn't. When her dementia meant I obtained POA I did object.  The Valuation Office agreed and it was lowered to Band C. They knew it was wrong and credited my mother's bank account.  Wish now that I'd pushed for Band B

Elizabeth Balsom ● 42d