COUNCIL tax bills will soar by more than ten per cent next month. In the nine years since property taxes were reformed, the increase for some householders in East Anglia will have more than doubled.

COUNCIL tax bills will soar by more than ten per cent next month.

In the nine years since property taxes were reformed, the increase for some householders in East Anglia will have more than doubled.

While the retail price index between January 1993 and January this year has risen by 25.67pc, some total tax bills will have gone up by more than 100pc.

It is the small rural councils of Suffolk that have been hardest hit.

Total tax bills in Babergh have been pushed up by more than 100pc, mostly due to less financial support from the Government for district services.

In Suffolk Coastal, tax bills have increase by around 90pc since 1993.

By contrast, people living in Ipswich have escaped relatively lightly. Total bills in Ipswich have risen by 68pc.

However, the first council tax set by Ipswich was one of the highest in the country, leading to the authority being rate capped by the then Conservative government.

The biggest element in tax bills is the levy imposed by county councils and from April, Suffolk will raise its take by 11.9pc and Essex by 9.8pc. County councils are responsible for services such as education, social care, libraries, roads, the fire brigade, and consumer protection.

The rest of the tax bill is made up of charges for district services such as housing, parks, leisure facilities and refuse collection, and the police precept for law and order.