RYEDALE’S council tax has been frozen for the sixth year running.

District councillors voted last week not to impose an increase and in return the council will receive a Government grant equivalent to one per cent of its tax.

The district’s part of the overall council tax bill is just over 11 per cent of the total bill, equivalent to £176.72 for a band D property. The remainder of the bill is made up by North Yorkshire County Council (71 per cent), Police Authority (14 per cent) and Fire Authority (four per cent), in addition to town and parish council precepts.

Overall, a resident in a band D property will see the council tax rise from £1,527.19 to £1,554.06.

Councillor Linda Cowling, leader of Ryedale District Council, said: “It has been our policy to make the savings imposed on us by Government by making savings on the cost of running the council rather than reducing services or increasing council tax.

“The residents of Ryedale will have seen little in the way of wage increases over the past few years so it is only fair that we do not add to their household bills.”

Last month, members of North Yorkshire County Council approved the authority’s budget plans, which included an increase of 1.99 per cent in council tax – equivalent to just over 40p a week for the average Band D household.

The council tax increase will produce income of about £4.8m to set against a budget requirement of £363m.

However, even with the tax increase, the authority will need to take more than £1.6m from its reserves while implementing savings of about £22m next financial year.

As well as approving the budget, members voted for changes to their allowances. Allowances will be frozen for the fifth year in succession, with changes to some special responsibility allowances.