The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,
Declares that the petitioners do not agree with the increase in the parish precept implemented by Morecambe Town Council.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to review the increase in the parish precept implemented by the Council and cap parish councils from being able to implement a large rise in Council Tax without a formal referendum in the future.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by David Morris, Official Report, 18 January 2024; Vol. 743, c. 1122.]
[P002899]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Simon Hoare):
Council tax is set by local authorities, including town and parish councils, which decide what level of council tax they need to raise, taking into account their individual circumstances.
Each year the Government sets council tax referendum principles for different types of local authority. Where the authority wishes to set an increase above the level of the principle, it must be approved by local voters in a referendum. The referendum principles strike a balance by giving local authorities the flexibility to raise council tax bills to meet spending pressures, without overburdening council taxpayers.
Following consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement for 2024-25, the Government have decided to continue their approach of not applying referendum principles to town and parish councils. However, this comes with a clear expectation that these councils will take all available steps to mitigate the need for council tax increases and that the Government will see clear evidence of restraint. The Government expect authorities to take their other resources into account before setting increases. Decisions taken by town and parish councils in 2024-25 will be taken into account by the Government when considering referendum principles in future years.