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Trebling the cost of council tax for the richest people in Bristol is just one suggestion to stop wide-ranging council cuts, say a section of the Labour group.

Momentum Bristol has created a dossier of ideas which members claim will help the authority balance its books for the year and cut a chunk in to its projected 2023 deficit of £108million.

High on the list of ideas is to introduce a 'progressive' council tax reform, which would see the annual levy rise for the most valuable eight per cent of properties in the city. The group claims the remaining 92 per cent of households would see between a zero and five per cent increase under the measures.

Momentum Bristol is also proposing a slew of other money-making measures and savings in the ‘Defending Bristol’s Communities and Services’ document, including a hike in parking costs, the introduction of a congestion charge and the possibility of a tax on tourists.

A spokesperson for Bristol Momentum group and contributor to dossier, Esther Giles, said: “Everything we are doing is intended to be supportive of the Labour administration, knowing that they have incredibly difficult decisions to make.

“I think Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees must consider our suggestions when you compare it to the level of cuts he is proposing.”

poll loading Would you vote to support progressive council tax reform in Bristol? 1000+ VOTES SO FAR Yes, I think it is a fair way to raise money No, the idea is political suicide

Created by a group of Bristol supporters, the plan calls for Mr Rees to defer some of the £33 million budget cuts already passed for the 2017/18 financial year and the £31m worth of savings which need to be found in the next financial year.

It states that the implementing the proposed cuts would put too much pressure on Bristol’s services and would impact the “credibility” of the wider Labour Party if it was seen to act out the Conservative government’s austerity measures.

The document states: “The essence of an anti-austerity, progressive policy agenda is to focus on defending services by raising income from those most able to afford it – the wealthiest in our cities - to cover the budget deficit, while at the same time putting significant public and political pressure on the Tory government to restore local government funding to at least 2015 levels for the duration of the current parliament.”

Split in to four distinct sections, the most radical proposal is the progressive council tax.

The group states that it could raise £25.8million if the top eight-per cent of homes – roughly 15,266 households – were charged 200 per cent more than their current rates. This would see those living in the most expensive ‘band H’ properties pay almost £10,800 a year, compared to the current £3,599.50 bill.

Bristol City Council would have to hold a referendum before the the progressive council tax scheme could be implemented, which is not without issue. Traditionally older, middle class, people are the most likely to vote – exactly the section of society most likely to be affected by the tax hike.

A referendum organised over council tax rises in 2001 by the city council resulted in residents overwhelmingly against any increase in bills.

“I think we should be asking the people of Bristol and giving them a chance to say if they want things to stay as they are or if the people who can afford to pay more should be asked to,” Ms Giles said.

“We would have to have a strong public campaign to make sure everyone had enough information about the referendum and were mobilised to vote – but Momentum is very good at rallying public support.

“People would have to be reassured that council tax wouldn’t be increased for the majority of the city.

“The process is entirely in keeping with Jeremy Corbyn’s message ‘for the many not the few’.”

The group does not know how much a referendum might cost.

The Local Government Association says central government funding to local authorities has seen a real-terms decrease of 29 per cent since 2010.

But it would be politically risky and highly unlikely that Mr Rees would agree to back progressive council tax reform. It would certainly not be popular with the wealthiest in Bristol and some opponents would argue that the tax would unfairly attack asset-rich but cash-poor residents.

Bristol Momentum also proposes a series of less radical ideas in its dossier. Among those is the suggestion that an impetus is placed on building social homes, the use of reserves to plug the most persistent of cuts and pausing maintenance of council-owned buildings.

(Image: Claire Hayhurst/PA Wire)

It also suggests the introduction of environmental levies such as a congestion charge or charges around recycling, increases in parking charges depending on a person’s council tax, asking universities to pay the shortfall in lost council tax from student accommodation and introducing a tourism tax for those visiting the city.

Characterised by its left-leaning ideals, Momentum is a national movement within the Labour Party which, was set up after Jeremy Corbyn became party leader.

There are more than 31,000 members across the UK and the local dossier is part of a national campaign to introduce a progressive method of council tax payments.

Ms Giles is meeting with the council's deputy mayor for finance, Craig Cheney, in the coming days.

The Bristol Post has asked the council for a comment on the Momentum proposals.