Question:
Dear Sir, New developments are on the increase in the area and are generally not adopted by the Council. Residents have to pay a Service charge in order to provide maintenance of the infrastructure. Such as roadways, street lighting and pumping stations etc. However in addition to this they are also required to pay the FULL Council tax .
There is no adjustment to the Council Tax in these circumstances, what is the reason for this not to be taken into consideration?
Answer:
Council tax is a statutory tax collected by local councils and not a payment for specific services. Although Council tax is collected locally, it is based on national legislation set by the Government. Therefore, local councils do not have the necessary powers to decided to reduce the amounts charged based on the circumstances you describe in your email.