LOCAL authority leaders today welcomed a planned freeze in council tax – with the body which gets the lion’s share pledging to keep it at zero if the public backed cuts.

The chancellor is expected to tomorrow announce that councils will not increase bills for the 12 months from April. He is expected to pledge to compensate councils.

The average band D homes pays about £1,450 this year to Buckinghamshire County Council, police and fire authorities and the relevant parish and district council.

Most, £1,077.74 from a band D home, went to the county council, which runs services including schools, roads and social services.

But leader Councillor David Shakespeare said: “If people prefer cuts then we can continue to freeze the council tax.

“But they have to be realistic. If there was no money to spend then they can’t expect services to stay the same.”

He said of the freeze: “I think it will be very much welcome and I wish we could have a council tax freeze forever.”

A plan to reduce day centres from 22 to two or three are amongst cost savings already being put in motion by authority, which raised its share by two per cent this year.

Cllr Shakespeare said he expected a five per cent cut in Government grants to run services and a massive 50 per cent cut to build new projects.

This has led to concerns about cash promised by Labour to refurbish Chesham Park Community College.

He said: “We keep hearing that the Government didn’t actually have that money when it made the promises.

“Now the new coalition has seen the books, it is far worse than expected.”

Rising costs and more responsibilities for councils from Labour had pushed up previous increases, the Conservative said.

The average BCC bill in 2000 was £645.70 and hit a top increase of 14.8 per cent in 2003. Last year’s rise was 3.7 per cent.

Cllr Lesley Clarke, leader of Wycombe District Council, said her authority had been planning a freeze for next year anyway.

It set the lowest increase in Bucks this year, 1.75 per cent, giving it £126.99 for a band D. The previous year was 2.8 per cent. Cllr Clarke said: “We have to move with the times.”

The grant would determine any future cuts, she said. The authority has been criticised for closing toilets and Holywell Mead outdoor swimming pool to save cash.

But Cllr Steve Guy, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, pointed out that his party had proposed a zero increase for WDC this year, but this was defeated.

He said: "It was politically motivated. It was because we suggested it. Now there is a Conservative Government suggesting it, they say it is a good thing."

Chiltern District Council Leader Nick Rose said: “Clearly, the Devil is in the detail. Until the Chancellor releases the information as to how it works we are not entirely clear.”

“However, it's good news for our council tax payers.”

In February a council tax increase of 2.5 per cent was approved by the council, about £160 for a band D. The previous year was 3.9 per cent and four per cent the year before that Cllr Adrian Busby, leader of South Bucks District Council, which took about £143 this year, was not available for comment.

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