70p to live inWoodhall Spa -it's a bargain!

That’s the increase owners of an average ‘Band D’ property will face after parish councillors agreed their budget for the next 12 months.

The council says it needs to raise £57,024 to cover its expenditure, compared to a figure of £54,100 last year.

At a meeting last week, councillors supported a two per cent increase in its share of council tax bills.

That means owners of a Band D property will pay £35.51, compared to £34.81 last year.

There will also be a 2% increase for properties which fall into other bands.

Parish council chairman David Clarke said the increase was .minimal’ and represented excellent value for money.

The council will have to dip into its own cash reserves for £3,400 to keep the rise to 2%.

Councillors did discuss an alternative proposal which would not have relied on utilising any reserves but would have led to an 8% increase in tax bills.

Coun Graham Keegan said he thought that second option was asking too much of bill payers in testing economic times.

Councillors were told the increase did not take into account responsibility for delivering an extra services amid potential district and county council cutbacks.

The parish precept forms only a small part of council tax bills. District, county and police precepts are almost certain to go up with forecasts of an overall increase of 10% in average Band D bills.