COUNCIL tax could rise by almost 15 per cent in Lewisham but residents will not be as badly off as other Londoners according to the council.

Lewisham Mayor Steve Bullock and his cabinet are expected to discuss the proposals, which could ultimately top £1,000 for a Band D property, at a meeting tonight.

The portion of tax funding Lewisham's services could rise by 9.4 per cent following extensive calculations, but the final decision cannot be taken until March 5.

But according to council officers, the projected 9.4 per cent rise is not as bad as other London boroughs which are considering double-digit increases.

Even if the council keeps the rise in single figures, the Greater London Authority's portion of the final bill, which covers the Met, firefighters, transport and City Hall is expected to rocket.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has just proposed a 35.73 per cent increase for his portion of the bill, which was rejected by the London Assembly.

This means on a Band D property the council tax bill will rise by 14.18 per cent or £135.77 taking council tax to £1,093.15 compared to £957.38 for 2002/3.

The increase is based on a number of factors including the GLA segment and the final Local Government Finance Settlement which is provisionally set at £351.961m.

l Turn to page 10 for more on Ken

Livingstone's budget proposal

January 28, 2003 11:00