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Answer before May 4 please [editor's title] LET'S not get overexcited by Labour-led euphoria over the latest Council Tax budget. Brent residents might instead like to press councillors for some straight answers about how Council Tax rebanding will affect them. In a written answer of 16 March 2005, the Mayor of London said: "Decisions on new council tax bandings are expected by the end of May of next year [2006], following a public consultation and after new valuations are known." Not only did this represent a delay in the expected date of implementation from 2006 to 2007, but the likely losers were now being kept in the dark until after the local election. How convenient. It is generally accepted that Brent is likely to be one of those boroughs in London where householders will be worst hit by rebanding (reflecting property price rises since 1991). If your council tax went from band C to band D or from D to E next year, wouldn't you want to budget for it now? I would like to call upon Brent Council, and the Labour MPs for Brent, to address concerns about rebanding. Could we please have an answer before 4th May 2006, however. Shahrar Ali |
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