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Council tax to rise
HOUSEHOLDS in England will see their bills rise on April 1 as most cashstrapped local authorities announce plans to hike council tax to the maximum level to plug black holes in their finances, according to a news source.
Average council tax bills will exceed £2,000 in April with households facing a £99 hike to annual bills.
The average Band D council tax set by local au thorities in England for 2023 24 will be £2,065 a rise of £99 or 5.1 per cent on the 2022 23 figure of £1,966, according to government figures.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt allowed cashstrapped local authorities to increase council tax by up to 5 per cent without calling a referendum in the Autumn Statement to plug holes in their finances. Previously, town, city and county halls could only in crease bills by 3 per cent without a referendum.
Average council tax bills for Band D properties are already around £1,966 a rise of more than £500 a year since 2010.
Three struggling councils have been given special permission by the government to impose higher rises up to 10 per cent for Thurrock and Slough, and an eyewatering 15 per cent for Croydon.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Officers and emergency service colleagues are responding to an incident at Imperial Dock in Leith, Edinburgh, whereby a ship on dry dock has become dislodged from its holding.
“Police were called to attend at around 8.35am and the public are asked to avoid the area to allow emergency service access.'
Leith councillor Adam McVey said the ship became dislodged in strong winds and he described the incident as “terrifying” for those on board.
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We received a call at 08.29 hours today to attend an incident in Leith.
“We have dispatched five ambulances, an air ambulance, three trauma teams, our special operations team, three paramedic response units and one patient transport vehicle.”
The coastguard also sent teams to the scene.
