Areas set to pay the most council tax in Northamptonshire
Rises of almost 5% were approved last week.
Last updated 27th Feb 2025
Residents across North Northamptonshire will be subject to higher council tax rates for 2025/26 after council budgets were approved last week. However, certain towns and villages will face paying a higher bill than others.
The most expensive town to pay tax in 2025/26 is Oundle, with homeowners shelling out £2,474.34 on average for the year.
The total council tax a person must pay is split between a standard rate from North Northants Council (NNC), fire and police precepts, and local rates set by parish and town councils.
In Oundle, an average Band D home will pay £1,827.06 to NNC, £320.04 to the police, and £80.39 to the fire authority. Oundle Town Council has the highest local precept rate in the region, adding a further £246.85 to residents’ bills.
The tax rate for people living in Oundle in 2024/25 was also the highest in the authority, at £2,371.56 in total for a Band D home. This means households will have to pay an extra £102.78 on their previous bills.
On Thursday (February 20), the unitary council agreed to a maximum 4.99 per cent increase on council tax this year – translating to an annual increase of £86.84 a year for Band D properties. Council tax is an annual fee charged by local authorities to fund important services such as social care, highways, rubbish collection, and libraries.
Despite remaining the highest charge in the county by a difference of just over £40, Oundle Town Council did slightly reduce its yearly precept fees for a Band D home this year by £3.06.
Oundle Town Council has been contacted for comment. According to its website, it’s responsible for a range of services including street lighting, managing parks, recreation grounds and markets, maintaining the cemetery, and providing community grants to local sports and arts organisations.
Twywell and Irthlingborough also feature in the top three areas with the highest council tax bills in North Northants.
Irthlingborough Town Council set a precept of £206 for its residents in 2025/25, up from £200. Not far behind, Twywell Parish Council decided to more than double residents’ parish precept fees to £190.26 for the new financial year.
A spokesperson for Twywell Parish Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Costs to the Council have included new street lights, purchasing of the allotments, hedge cutting, increased insurance premium after a review of the asset register and removal of asbestos from allotments. The Parish Council have increased the Clerk’s hours to deal with a backlog and the increase in Employers National Insurance contributions has also had an impact.
“The precept was not increased in 22/23 and 23/24, this process would have had less of an impact on the precept if the amount had been spread over the last four years.”
Irthlingborough Town Council has not responded to a request for comment.