Council tax bills frozen as Minister threatens 3.5pc cap

Six town halls in the region and two police authorities are among those who are expected to freeze bills, according to Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles.

Any council proposing an increase of more than 3.5 per cent has also been warned it faces having its bills capped.

By heaping praise on those authorities which have already indicated they will freeze bills, Mr Pickles will hope to pile pressure on others to follow suit. The Government is offering £650m to help councils which agree to the initiative .

Calderdale, Harrogate, Hull, High Peak, Scarborough and Wakefield are among the councils which have already announced that they do not plan to raise bills, while South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire police authorities are not intending to raise their portion of the bill.

Mr Pickles said: “I welcome the news that already over 130 ‘can do’ councils are planning to take part in the Government’s £650m council tax freeze initiative.”

The Government will offer those taking part a grant worth 2.5 per cent of their council tax to make it worthwhile.

But Labour yesterday renewed its criticism of the Government’s cuts to council funding and police grants as it voted in the House of Commons.

Shadow Local Government Secretary Caroline Flint, Don Valley MP, said: “The Tory-led Government’s cuts to local councils go deeper and faster than almost any other Whitehall department, fall hardest on the most deprived communities, and will have a devastating impact on vital frontline services and jobs.

“Surestart centres, libraries, bin collections and many other local services are under threat of cut backs or closure because the Government has chosen to hit councils with cuts that are frontloaded into the first year rather than spread out over four years.”