Barnet, Bromley and Lambeth seek council tax rises above 5% cap, Barnet up to 32%

Mixed · 2Barnet, Bromley and Lambeth councils have asked the government for permission to raise council tax by more than the 5% national cap. 1 2 Mixed · 2Barnet's proposed 32% rise would lift the average Band D bill from £1,622 to £2,060; the Labour-run borough faces a projected £200 million shortfall by 2030, driven by reduced government funding and rising social care costs. 1 2 Right · 1Barnet has relied on £135 million in emergency government loans to avoid bankruptcy; the Express says this was over the past two years and describes the borough as in talks with the government over the rise. 2

Mixed · 2Simon Radford, Barnet's cabinet member for financial sustainability, said: "The task is mammoth. We need to find £200m of savings or cost avoidance within three years." 1 2 Mixed · 2Conservative-run Bromley proposes an unspecified rise above 5% to offset funding cuts of more than £30 million a year; its leader Colin Smith said the cut left "no other viable option" than a "higher-than-desirable council tax increase". 2 1 Mixed · 2Lambeth, led by the Greens according to the Standard, faces a projected £130 million funding gap by 2029-30; the Express reports the council said no decision had been made on 2027-28 rates and called on ministers to reverse funding cuts. 1 2

Mixed · 2The proposals follow the new funding formula, which shifts money towards areas judged to have greater deprivation and social care needs, leaving some historically affluent councils in London and the South East with shortfalls; councils say it ignores factors such as homelessness and cost of living. 2 1 Mixed · 2Hammersmith and Fulham and Wandsworth have also sought large rises, of 150% and 94% respectively. The Standard says both were given approval earlier this month, while the Express describes Hammersmith and Fulham as weighing the rise and Wandsworth as planning it. 1 2 Right · 1The Express says the Hammersmith and Fulham rise would add about £29 a week to the average Band D bill, relates only to the council's own share of the bill and remains under consideration; Wandsworth's 94% rise could add £958, and the Conservative-led council blames an £80 million government cut and overspending by the previous Labour administration. 2

Mixed · 2The Standard says Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, the City of London, Wandsworth and Hammersmith and Fulham have been cleared to exceed the cap; the Express says the first three are planning double-digit increases and Windsor and Maidenhead is reportedly considering 25%. 1 2 Mixed · 2The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it is "fixing an outdated system so that funding goes where need is greatest" and is making £11.5bn available to London councils, more than a 38% increase since 2024-25. 1 2 Centre · 1The Standard adds that the government of Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces pressure over the capital's exposure to policies such as a 2028 "mansion tax" on properties above £2 million. 1