Staffordshire in council tax freeze pledge

County councillors in Staffordshire have committed themselves to a zero per cent increase in council tax for residents next year.

The decision to freeze the county council element of the charge was announced during a meeting of the Conservative-controlled cabinet held yesterday.

Bosses say the decision, which takes affect in April 2011, will help protect families and businesses in the county from the effects of rising costs.

Staffordshire County Council is the largest local authority to commit to a freeze — and among the first nationally.

It will give Staffordshire taxpayers the second lowest council tax rate of all county councils, with a family living in a Band D property paying £1028.81 a year.

It comes on top of a below-inflation 1.9 per cent increase last year, which added around 37p a week to a Band D bill.

Council leader Philip Atkins said: "At a time when resident's finances are under pressure this will give people confidence to plan for the future. It will help families and local businesses.

"We are doing this now to reassure local residents. The county council is financially strong.

"We are successfully driving down costs and we are in a stable position. We have been working hard to ensure the essential services needed to support our families, communities and the county's prosperity are protected."

He added: "We are taking a business-like approach to spending which has made this decision achievable.

"We are meeting the financial challenges that were left as the legacy of previous governments and administrations that included the doubling of council tax over the previous 13 years.

"In the future the county council will be a smaller, more efficient organisation."

The freeze will now have to be approved at a meeting of the full council next year.