IT WILL not be too long before Council Tax bills will be landing on the doormats of residents of South Lakeland.

I realise that the reduction of funds from central government has put a great burden on local government to keep its services running - they have no option to cut services or increase taxes.

No one likes to pay taxes, as long as they are seen to be fair. However, Council Tax is now more and more becoming a tax on the least well off and the poorest in society.

I illustrate the point as follows: At present, a couple of state pensioners, living in the average Band D property, have a joint income of about £14,000 per year, and a tax (soon to be increased) of £1,722.60 per year. This equates to a 12.3 per cent tax.

I personally know of a similar Band D property, with three people living there on an aggregate income of £80,000. This equates to a tax of just over two per cent.

The tax has become an imposition on those least able to pay - and now has little connection with the ability to pay.

When you get your demand, it is worth bearing in mind that the wealthiest areas in society (places not known to be short of millionaires) pay by far the least tax.

Band D properties in Westminster, Wandsworth and the City of London pay (at the moment) only £688, £694 and £931 respectively annually, about two and a half times less than residents of South Lakeland.

Council Tax should be scrapped and replaced by Income Tax.

Meanwhile it has been suggested there should also be an extra levy for flood protection in Cumbria. This is a very dangerous idea, as, if once approved, further levies could be added for road gritting and many other services.

Peter Johnson

Levens