Protesters take 11,000-name petition to Downing Street

People Against Rises in council Tax (PART) have collected signatures from almost 11,000 Hastings taxpayers who say they are against the charge rising above inflation in 2004.

Council tax was hiked up over 20 per cent this year by the county council, who blamed the rise on insufficient funds given to them by central government.

Mike Mitchell, PART secretary, said: "I think this petition will have great impact and it shows the number of people who have had enough of council tax."

Councillors discussed this huge issue at cabinet in Lewes on Monday and all parties criticised the present system.

Daphne Bagshawe, Conservative cabinet member for finance, said the way money is raised needed to be looked at, but also the amount of freedom the county council has to spend funds in the way it chooses.

She said: "The existing system of council tax is no longer adequate to deal with the with extra services local authorities are required to provide."

Cllr Bagshawe said the county council was considering different methods of charging, but would be unlikely to subsidise any one group, such as pensioners, to the detriment of others.

She also ruled out a referendum on tax but said people would be consulted on what their priorities services are.

Cllr David Rogers held with the Liberal Democrats' view that the charge needs to be scrapped and replaced with a local income tax.

He said: "I think it is a fundamentally regressive tax system and the current government has failed to do anything about it. I think people's protests are likely to grow and they have my full support because it should be abolished."

Cllr Keith Bridger, Labour group leader on the county council, said: "The system is under review and I think there are problems with the way money is raised for services."

p PART's next meeting is at St Matthew's Church hall on Thursday at 7.30pm.

richard.purnell

@jpress.co.uk