Council tax frozen in Bath and north east Somerset

Council tax and parking charges will be frozen by Bath and North East Somerset Council as part of its 2012/13 budget.

The freeze means the council will receive a £1.93m government grant.

The Lib Dem-run authority says that due to efficiency savings, frontline services will be cut by £1.2m, 0.5% of its £240m budget.

The reduction is part of a £12m cut in the budget. The council also pledged to reduce its projected borrowing from £206m to £172m.

Leader of the Council, Paul Crossley said: "Whilst other councils have made deep cuts to frontline services, we have taken steps to become more efficient in the way in which our services are provided and protected frontline priority public services."

Other plans approved at a council cabinet meeting to discuss the budget is the investment of more than £80m in economic regeneration projects such as at Bath Riverside, Keynsham and Radstock, and the Bath Transportation Package.

The council also plans to pledge £2m over the next two years towards improving street lighting, £1.2m over three years on new affordable homes, £2.44m for repairs to Victoria Bridge and £500,000 on new 20mph limits.

Council leaders rejected a proposal by the Conservatives to divert a £1.8m allocation over the next few years on traveller sites into the affordable housing budget.

The Conservative group leader, Councillor Francine Haeberling said: "We're clearly very disappointed by this outcome and I'm sure that many residents needing to access social housing or trying to get onto the property ladder will feel very let down."