HOMEOWNERS in some parts of Scotland have seen their council tax bills double over the last decade, according to new research.
The study, carried out by the Bank of Scotland, found that people in the Shetland Isles experienced a 118% rise in bills since 1997, the highest rise north of the Border. While they were the worst hit, homeowners on average are now paying 51% more th
an they did 10 years ago, which is way above the rate of inflation. Many bills now exceed £2,000 a year.
The study, which covers Tony Blair's entire period in Number 10, shows that when he took over as Prime Minister, people in Scotland paid an average of £651 a year. The average charge this year is £980.
This is lower than the average charge across the whole of Britain, which has now reached £1,080 - a fact largely caused by Scotland's lower house prices.
The 51% average rise in Scotland is higher than the 31% increase in the headline rate of the Retail Price Index, the 44% increase in the price of services and the estimated 50% increase in average earnings.
The study found that residents in East Renfrewshire have the highest council tax bills, with the average charge there £1,247, while residents in the Western Isles have the lowest, with average bills there £735.
People in West Dunbartonshire have seen the smallest increase, with average bills there rising by 21% - the smallest rise across the entire UK, according to the bank.
Scotland appears to have been hit less than the rest of the UK. The highest increases of all occurred in Monmouthshire in Wales, where charges have gone up by 184%. A revaluation of properties in Wales in 2005 may have contributed to the significant rises in some areas.
People living in Richmond upon Thames have the highest bills in Britain, with average council tax charges there £1,665, while the lowest bills are in Wandsworth, where the average charge is £641.
Martin Ellis, chief economist with the Bank of Scotland, said: "Council tax bills in Scotland have increased significantly faster than retail prices over the past 10 years.
"However, growth rates in council tax bills over the past decade have been slower than those in England and Wales."
He added: "The smaller increases in Scotland mean there are now no Scottish billing authorities in the top 30 areas in Britain with the highest average council tax charges. By contrast, more than one quarter of the 30 areas with the highest charges in Britain a decade ago were in Scotland."
The figures are certain to add to calls led by the SNP government to scrap the current council tax, which it claims unfairly penalises people on low incomes who still have to pay out large sums because of the value of their houses.
It wants to replace the charge with a local income tax, under which people would instead be charged on the amount they earned. The SNP has claimed it could limit the tax to an extra 3p on their tax bills.
Last week, the Scottish Parliament narrowly backed the SNP's plans, suggesting that First Minister Alex Salmond does have the necessary support to introduce his plan in the lifetime of this parliament.
