Squeezed local people paying for glorious rich people’s holiday homes, says Northumberland Labour

Northumberland Labour says the county now has one of the highest council tax bills in the country.

This year has seen a 4.01 per cent rise in council tax for people on an average Band D rate.

Labour leader Councillor Scott Dickinson said: “Northumbrians are seeing a £10m cut in essential services this year with £40m to follow over the next two years.

“Meanwhile we’re seeing an eye-watering  4.01 per cent hike in Band D council tax, making the county’s council tax the highest in the country.

“It beggars belief that these rates can be justified in a county with some of the highest level of poverty and communities who are suffering.

“There has been a signifiant increase in second and holiday homes being brought in the county, pushing house prices up and pushing local people out of the housing market.

“Something is going seriously wrong. The hike in council tax is coming on top of huge rises in food, energy and fuel. Yet the government is sitting idly by and saying they can’t help everybody.

“People in our county deserve to be able to afford to live where they grew up, have a decent job, education, health and social care and services when they need them.

“It’s clear that this government is letting people down on a grand scale while claiming to be levelling up. They are either out of touch or they simply don’t care.”