West Sussex council tax rise kept down

This will be the lowest percentage increase in council tax since the system was introduced in 1993.

The 3.99 per cent rise is expected to be recommended to the full county council on February 13.

It would mean the average Band D taxpayer having to find just 84p more a week for the 80 per cent of local government services delivered by the county council.

The average Band D tax would increase by 43.83 to 1,141.83.

Budget

The proposed budget for the coming financial year '” 906.3 million '“ includes improvements to meet pressures facing some front-line services.

Louise Goldsmith, county council cabinet member for finance and resources, said: "This has been achieved with very little help from the government, which has given us the lowest possible grant increase towards services for the seventh year in a row, despite the huge cost pressures we face.

"The fact that we can keep council tax at an affordable level and improve some services is entirely due to the huge efficiency savings we have made over recent years."

Still to be added to the final tax bill will be the amounts needed by district or borough councils, Sussex Police, and town or parish councils.

Worthing's council tax increase could also be under four per cent.

But Paul Yallop, the borough council's cabinet member for resources, told the Herald the rise could have been two per cent, were it not for the 600,000 cost of the concessionary travel scheme.

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