increased by an average of 7.2% in April.

In England and Scotland, bands are based on the price the property would have sold for in 1991. Wales uses 2003 prices and Northern Ireland 2005 prices.You can check your home's band in:

Council tax bills also include additional charges.These are used to fund the cost of care homes and other adult social care services. Another is set by local police and fire authorities to help fund their work.Some cities with mayors, such as London and Manchester, can also add a separate charges for other services.

About half of local authority funding comes from council tax, according to the Institute for Government (IFG).Councils in England can also raise money by charging for services including parking, swimming pools and planning applications.

Most of the rest comes from a combination of business rates and central government grants.

Labour had promised £2bn of central government funding for English councils in the year from April 2025, an extra £700m on top of the £1.3bn announced in October's Budget."It's all worth it when you're there because a great week awaits," he said.

And two 19-year-old British riders competing in the event and making a significant impact on road cycling globally are explaining who inspired them to take up the sport.At a luxury hotel on the outskirts of Darlington, Imogen Wolff looks across at two-time Tour of Britain winner Lizzie Deignan, a little uncomfortably, to tell her that the speech she delivered following her momentous 2021 Paris-Roubaix win is the reason she is at a bike race at all.

Alongside her is housemate Cat Ferguson, the current junior road race world champion and rider for the World Tour Movistar team."You're gonna think I'm just saying it because she's sat next to me but it was genuinely Lizzie's speech after Roubaix," says Wolff, who competes for the Visma Lease a Bike team.