Croydon Council is set to increase council tax by the maximum amount it possibly can without trigging a local referendum.

Council tax will be increased by roughly two per cent in 2017/18 – equal to about 47p per week for a Band D property.

The increase would help the authority invest in the regeneration of Fairfield Halls, pay for extra street cleaning equipment and a new pool in New Addington, council leader Tony Newman said.

The council tax hike, announced at a full council meeting on Monday, January 30, will go up by about £65 per year – when accounting for all precepts.

The adult social care precept, which was rolled out in 2016 to help funding social care services under strain, will rise by 70p per week.

LAST YEAR: Croydon Council to increase its share of your council tax by 3.99 per cent

Greater London Assembly (GLA) precept will rise by 8p per week.

Neighbouring Surrey County Council confirmed its plans to hike council tax up by 15 per cent, the largest increase the country and nine times the rate of inflation.

Surrey has put the referendum to vote next week.

Croydon’s rise is the absolute maximum the authority can increase the tax by without having to hold a referendum.

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Cllr Newman said: “We’re absolutely determined to protect our elderly and vulnerable residents which is why we have decided to implement the government’s adult social care precept.

“But in the long term, we, like councils across the political divide believe these vital services should be funded by national government.”

The authority’s recommendation is a 1.99 per cent increase in its council tax element.

Coupled with the Mayor of London’s proposed 1.46 per cent increase in the GLA precept and the government’s 3 per cent adult social care precept gives an overall rise of 4.33 per cent.

The proposals will be presented to cabinet and council for approval in February.