WEST Devon Borough Council is to increase its share of the council tax by an extra 9p a week for an average band D property.

A £430,000 cut in grant from the Government as well as the effects of inflation, led to the decision by the council at its meeting on Tuesday. The West Devon council tax for an average band D property will now be £196.95 a year.

Cllr Philip Sanders, chairman of the Conservative-controlled borough's strategies and resources committee, said the council had decided not to take advantage of the Government's one-off council tax freeze grant of just over £100,000 as it wanted to secure the future of services to the public.

He said: 'Council services have to be funded year on year but the money being offered by the Government is for just one year. If we accepted the Government grant we would be severely handicapped in 2013/14 as we would have to find an extra £100,000 before we even started putting together next year's budget.

'We recognise the difficulties our council tax payers face and we are reluctant to take this step but failure to do so could put the services to our tax payers in jeopardy.

'We are continuing to identify savings to offset rising costs, particularly as we are expecting the Government to reduce its funding even further in 2013/14.'

But the move was criticised by Liberal Democrat Cllr Alison Clish-Green, who said most West Devon residents were already being hit by salary freezes and petrol price rises.

She told the council: I think we have an opportunity to show our residents that we are on their side by freezing the council tax this year and accepting the Government's grant. This, I understand, is what every other council in Devon has done with the exception of South Hams.

'We do not know what will happen next year; what if the Government decides next year to "reward" councils that freeze the council tax this year?'

The council has achieved savings of almost £600,000 per annum recurring through sharing staff and reducing management costs with South Hams Council. Since the start of this drive to reduce costs, the council has achieved savings totalling almost £3-million between the two authorities. This is on top of making savings of 3% per annum to meet previous Government targets.

Cllr Sanders added: 'The result of our efforts to achieve savings means that we have been able to avoid cutting any frontline services and we are continuing to financially support the voluntary sector such as the Citizens Advice Bureau with discretionary grants.'

The council takes 12p in every pound of the total council tax collected with the rest of the money going to Devon County Council, Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue along with town and parish councils.