RESIDENTS living in the Scottish Borders could be paying up to £670 less in council tax than their close English neighbours.

Despite Scottish Borders Council's recent three per cent tax rise, residents are still paying and average £508 less than their counterparts in Northumberland.

In Coldstream, for example, residents living in council tax band D properties can expect to pay £593 less than those in similar properties in Cornhill-on-Tweed, less than a mile away.

Years of council tax freezes by the Scottish Government have left Scottish residents paying much less. 

South Scotland SNP regional list MSP Emma Harper said: “Not only are council tax bills in Scotland lower than they are south of the border – by over £500 a year on average for a band D property – but the majority of income tax payers will also pay less than they would if they lived elsewhere in the UK.

“While the Tories obsessively argue for tax cuts for the very wealthiest in society that would mean £556 million less for our schools, hospitals and other vital public services, the Scottish Government is delivering a progressive and sensible tax regime that delivers for everyone.”

Council tax makes up less than a quarter of Scottish Borders Council’s funding, and the latest increase marks only the second council tax hike in the past 10 years. 

But SBC leader Shona Haslam said: “The Scottish Borders is the lowest wage economy in Scotland. That, combined with the recent SNP income tax rise, means that people are feeling their households budgets continually squeezed.  

“As a council, we are very mindful of the realities that are facing people and want to make sure that the council tax we set is right for our context.  

“The Scottish Government continues to cut our funding but demands us to deliver more services.  

“The council tax rise of this year reflects all of this, but, as a Conservative-independent administration, we are totally committed to protecting front-line services like our NHS, our police force, our schools and our roads.”

A Northumberland County Council spokesperson said: “We remain committed to protecting front-line services, and ensuring a strong, prosperous and healthy future for the county.

“We reluctantly agreed to raising council tax by 2.99% to help us protect those vital services and balance the budget. 

“This rise equates to 85p per household per week for a band D property.

“We have had several difficult decisions to make, but, like many local authorities across the UK, we took this decision in line with the Government’s assumptions around spending power, inflation and resulting revenue support grant contribution. “

The full comparison figures for 2018/19 are below.

Northumberland
SBC
Difference
Band A
1,162.64
£766.68
395.96
 

Band B
1,356.41
£894.46
461.95

Band C
1,550.19
£1,022.24
527.95

Band D
1,743.96
£1,150.02
593.94

Band E
2,131.51
£1,510.99
620.52

Band F
2,519.05
£1,868.78
650.27

Band G
2,906.60
£2,252.11
654.49

Band H
3,487.92
£2,817.54
670.38

Average:
508.38