TAXPAYERS in Studley and Alcester would avoid severe council tax hikes if the running of the county is reorganised into two unitary authorities instead of just one, say two district leaders.
Leader of Warwick District Council Councillor Andrew Day, and leader of Stratford District Council Coun Tony Jefferson have warned a report from Deloitte showed residents in south Warwickshire could be hit with a big increase in council tax if a single unitary authority to run the whole of the county is created.
The report recommends creating two unitary authorities instead, one for the north of the county running North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and Rugby, and one for the south running Stratford and Warwick.
Couns Day and Jefferson say this would result in better value for money for taxpayers across the county.
They say that’s because council tax in the south of the borough is lower than in the north and under any tax harmonisation into a single authority, residents in the south could see the amount they pay rise.
The issue is of significance to Redditch because for many years some local leaders have felt the borough does not get a fair deal out of Worcestershire County Council.
It follows a new government White Paper which is expected to reduce the number of tiers in local government in some areas from two to one, which would have a direct impact on Redditch.
