Town facing 4.9 per cent tax hike

Owners of an average band D property will pay the district council £114.14 compared to last year's £108.79 - an increase of 4.9 per cent. The district council's Labour group leader Dean Howson said it was the lowest increase of any council in North Yorkshire - with rates in other districts expected to rise by between six and 11 per cent.

But Conservative councillor Mark Crane said it would hit the "less well-off". He said the Tories were looking to draw up a budget that would produce a council tax at or below the current 3.3 per cent inflation rate.

Coun Crane said: "We feel 4.9 per cent is too much and unnecessary because there is scope to reduce it without affecting services."

When North Yorkshire County Council and county police authority charges are added, it is estimated this year's average council tax bill for Selby area householders will be £837.34 in total compared to last year's £784.68 - a hike of around seven per cent.

Members of Selby's policy and finance committee voted nine to six last night to adopt the increase.

Coun Howson told the committee that Selby's increase would only have been three per cent - but for a special collection fund credit which had been reduced to 90p from last year's £2.90.

This credit, passed on to householders, had been badly affected by flooding. Evacuees were not paying council tax and some bandings had been downgraded, reducing the amount of rates collected. He said they had managed to restrict the council tax increase by funding the local plan inquiry costs of £50,000 from reserves. This would also free £5,000 for fencing around Monk Lane recreation ground. Coun Howson said Selby was now starting to emerge as a progressive, forward-looking council thanks to prudent management of resources.

He added: "Our new budget proposals will again take us to the forefront of service provision at a cost that is not objectionable to residents."

Updated: 14:22 Wednesday, February 07, 2001