People in North West London are set to pay more council tax for the eighth year in a row. 

Harrow Council plan a 2.99 per cent council tax rise as part of its draft budget for 2022/23 as it looks to plug a £15 million black hole in its funding.

This figure will go up when the Greater London Authority announces its city-wide contributions to council tax. 

It means those living in Band D properties will pay at least £2,021 next year – about £59 more than last year and the first time this has gone above £2,000.

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Band A households will fork out a minimum of £1,321. While this is just a £13 increase across the year, it represents the strain the council’s finances are under. 

As well as increasing council tax, Harrow Council needs to find almost £15 million to ensure it can produce a balanced budget for next year. 

It intends to use its financial reserves to achieve this, but there could also be cuts to services. 

The draft budget will be subject to scrutiny from councillors and a public consultation before a final decision is made by February 2022.

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Finance lead councillor Natasha Proctor explained councils have been “facing ongoing financial pressures” for a number of years. 

She said this has been exacerbated by the outbreak of the Covid-19 – while councils received government grants, all services were affected by the pandemic. 

She added there has been an increased demand for services in general, while an ageing population has hit adult social care services particularly hard. 

The council said it has been left with “little choice” but to rely on council tax as it makes up the bulk of its budget.