A MS is urging the Welsh Government to investigate council tax rates in Neath Port Talbot (NPT), which are among the highest in Wales.

Sioned Williams, Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales West, wants the government to look into councils that charge higher rates and aim for more equal charges across the country.

Speaking at the Senedd on Tuesday July 13, Ms Williams said NPT Council “consistently sets one of the highest council tax levels in Wales”.

“Residents simply can’t understand why it costs NPT Council so much more to deliver services compared to neighbouring counties. There’s an issue of fairness at the heart of this,” she added.

Ms Williams asked Mark Drakeford what the government is doing to make sure councils review their expenditure levels and whether it will investigate “higher-taxing authorities” like NPT Council to achieve “more consistent” levels across Wales.

Mr Drakeford said: “The Member’s constituents in Neath Port Talbot will be pleased to know that living in that area, with a Labour authority, the rise in their council tax this year is 3.1 per cent; that’s lower than in Anglesey, lower than Gwynedd, lower than Ceredigion, lower than Carmarthenshire, where the Member’s own party is in charge.”

It appears the First Minister misquoted the council tax increase for 2021/22, which is 2.75%. In 2020/21 the increase was 3.79%.

The First Minister also said NPT council has “very unusually” “exceeded its expectations” of council tax collection rates, which is “good news” for local constitutents because the council will have more resources than expected “to provide the services that residents of Neath Port Talbot require and rely on every day”.

“There are reasons why some local authorities have higher council tax rates than others,” he added. “And they essentially rest in the make-up of those local populations. Those factors are well known to local authorities and are rehearsed every year in the independent group that we established in order to review plans for the council tax.”

Councillors agreed to increase council tax levels in NPT by 2.75% for the year 2021/22 during a meeting held in March. The increased rates will cost residents living in Band D properties an extra £44.43, totalling £1,660.02 per year. Around 80% of local residents pay council tax fees below the Band C amount of £1,475.57.

The council’s Plaid Cymru group advocated a freeze on council tax rates for 2021-22. At the meeting in March, 39 councillors voted in favour of the 2.75% increase, 17 voted against and three abstained.

Council tax, which funds 25% of the council’s net expenditure, is expected to bring in around £80m next year. The local authority gets the remaining 75% of its funding from the Welsh Government.

 An  NPT Council spokesman said the local authority “works hard to keep council tax increases to the lowest possible level, balanced against the need to provide the vital services so many of our residents and businesses rely on”.

They said 80% of taxpayers in the county borough pay council tax on bands A to C, which are below £1,996 (Band D) and the average council tax per dwelling is £1,493 “the 16th lowest in Wales”.

They added: “As the First Minister pointed out in the Senedd, Neath Port Talbot Council’s percentage Council Tax rise of 2.75% this year was among the lowest in Wales.

“In 1996 when the old West Glamorgan authority was split into Neath Port Talbot and Swansea Councils, Neath Port Talbot suffered from an unequal apportionment of debts and liabilities from the previous council which it has been battling with for more than 20 years.

“Despite this, Neath Port Talbot Council fights year on year to give the best value for money for its services which has meant council tax increses over the past four years in Neath Port Talbot have been the second lowest across authorities in Wales.”