Council Tax payers in Bradford face increases in their bills of 6.6 per cent from April.

It will mean most families forking out between 60p and 80p a week extra, compared with last year.

The rise is well above the 2.5 per cent inflation rate, but is the lowest to hit the district's Council Tax payers for three years.

It compares favourably with an average rise in neighbouring Leeds of 87p pence a week, increasing bills by £60 to £733.

Last year Bradford Council put the cost of living in the district up by 10.8 per cent and slashed £4 million from school budgets and cut expenditure across the whole authority by 9.2 per cent.

And this year the authority is axing £1.5 million from directorates across the board, but is putting the extra money into education.

The increase means people in Band A - representing 46 per cent of households - will pay £507.65 a year, compared with £476.30. That's an increase of £31.35.

The 20 per cent of people in homes worth between £40,000 and £52,000 will pay £36.56 extra a year.

At the top of the table, residents whose homes are worth more than £320,000 will pay £94.03 extra per annum.

Council leader Councillor John Ryan said the final figures were dependant on the precepts set by West Yorkshire Police and the Fire and Civil Defence joint authorities.

He said: "Every indication is that the 6.6 per cent rise will be the figure agreed by the full Council on March 3.

"I am delighted that we have made our voice heard at national level that Bradford's settlement from the Government is the best we have had in years.

"We really thought we were looking down the barrel of a gun when we were predicting that we would be forced to stick to the previous Government's spending plans.

"If that had been the case we would have been increasing Council Tax bills by more than ten per cent and slashing more than £10 million from essential services at the same time. I believe that this settlement marks a turning point in the relationship between national and local government and I am very optimistic about the future for Bradford Council.

"We will continue to make this Council more effective and responsive to the people it exists to serve and will ensure we provide the best possible services, for the best value, to our citizens."

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