Residents will not have to pay more for council tax after politicians voted to freeze the fee for another year.

Wycombe District Council voted to buck the trend adopted by neighbouring authorities of increasing council tax next year.

Instead, those living in the Wycombe district will pay the same from April to next March as they have done for the last five years for council services.

From April an average property in Band D will continue to pay £2.44 a week for district council services, which equates to £126.99 per year.

Councillor Richard Scott, leader of the district council, said: “We know that money is tight for everyone. That's why we have worked even harder and even smarter to make sure we don’t have to ask local people to pay more for our services.

“We’ve made some big and bold changes to the way we work so that we can reduce our operating costs, but still deliver the frontline services which matter to local people. We’re totally committed to keep on looking for ways to work better and save money for local people.

“This council is financially robust and is supported by a strong asset base. We continue to maintain good reserves, which means we are able to pay our way without having to borrow to spend.

“We always remember that we are dealing with taxpayers money and for five years now, we have been able to keep our council tax at the same level.

“The budget has been achieved through a combination of compromise, reality and affordability.

“It is a balance between difficult and often tough choices, meeting our legal duties, protecting the most vulnerable, listening to our residents, investing in our key infrastructure and developing a sustainable financial position for future years.

“I think is the best budget we could have reached given the challenges we face.”

Wycombe District Council has frozen its council tax for the last five years.

At last Thursday’s full council meeting, Councillor Scott outlined some of the ways the council is working to deliver better value for money.

These include sharing the contract for waste and recycling with neighbouring Chiltern District Council and freeing up space at Wycombe District Council offices to rent out areas.

Other ways Councillor Scott said the council was saving money include the leasing of the Waitrose store at Handy Cross and the purchase of three retail units in Wycombe town centre, two of which have been fully let.