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Birmingham sees highest council tax increase in England

The city’s households will pay an additional £43.1 million in council tax this year, the largest rise among all local authorities.

council tax

The rise for this year accounts for 29 per cent of the total council tax increase over the last four years.

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BIRMINGHAM residents will face the highest overall increase in council tax in England for the 2025/26 financial year, according to research by Go.Compare Home Insurance.

The city’s households will pay an additional £43.1 million in council tax this year, the largest rise among all local authorities.


Property Wire reported that Windsor and Maidenhead will see the highest increase per household, with eligible properties paying £169.43 more than in 2024/25.

The rise for this year accounts for 29 per cent of the total council tax increase over the last four years.

Nathan Blackler, home insurance expert at Go.Compare, said: “Council tax is an essential household expense, but for many, these rising costs are putting even more pressure on already stretched budgets. If you’re struggling, it’s worth checking if you qualify for council tax reductions or any support schemes in your area.

“At the same time, looking for savings on other bills, like home insurance, could help offset some of these rising costs. Shopping around for a better deal could make a real difference to your monthly outgoings.”

On average, councils have increased tax rates by 4.9 per cent for 2025/26. Some local authorities facing financial difficulties have raised them further.

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lost property office

The warehouse houses intriguing finds from over the decades, including a wedding dress, an artificial limb and a taxidermy fox

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Transport for London handles 6,000 lost items weekly at Europe's largest lost property office

Highlights

  • Transport for London receives approximately 6,000 lost items every week from its network.
  • Less than one-fifth of items lost on tubes, trains, buses and black cabs are ever reclaimed by owners.
  • Europe's biggest lost property facility employs 45 staff at east London warehouse.
Transport for London (TfL) manages an astonishing 6,000 lost items weekly at Europe's largest lost property warehouse, with mobile phones, wallets, rucksacks, spectacles and keys topping the list of forgotten belongings across the capital's transport network.

The facility, located in east London and slightly smaller than a football pitch, employs 45 staff members who sort, log, label and store items left behind on tubes, overground trains, buses and black cabs.

The warehouse features rows of sliding shelves packed with everything from umbrella handles and books to hundreds of stuffed children's toys, including a huge St Bernard dog teddy and a Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.

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