Published: Saturday, 7th March, 2009 5:00pm

Tax rise is second biggest

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SLOUGH residents have been slapped with the second highest council tax hike in the country.

Slough Borough Council pushed forward a 4.95 per cent council tax rise, which is just below Trafford Council in Manchester where the figure rose by five per cent.

This will generate £2.7m for the borough and means that an average band D home will pay £1,335.19.

The figures were announced in a league table published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and Times on Friday.

This come two years after Council and Labour leader Rob Anderson criticised the former BILLD administration for raising council tax just below five per cent - which is the maximum level local authorises are allowed.

The hike is in contrast to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead which had a rise of 1.9 per cent while South Bucks District Council's council tax rose by 3.8 per cent.

Slough Borough Council has also defied the national trend where local authorities have been encouraged to keep council tax rises to three per cent this year.

Cllr Anderson said the rise will help pay for a £9m shortfall caused by Government underfunding and the recession.

He also insisted that even with a rise the actual amount residents pay is less than neighbouring authorities.

He said: "It is not a rise we wanted to make but the lack of funding meant that the alternative would be deep cuts in services.

"Slough has always had a much lower council tax than most other authorities and while the rise is regrettable the overall bills will still be lower for Slough residents than people living in most other areas."