North Yorkshire Council taxpayers to see near-5% increase

North Yorkshire Council taxpayers will see average bills rise by nearly £90

Council taxpayers in North Yorkshire will see nearly 5% added to their bills from April.

The increase - a basic 2.99% with an extra 2% for adult social care - will add nearly £90 to the average, or Band D, bill.

The rise was confirmed as Wednesday's full North Yorkshire Council meeting agreed a total budget worth £1.4bn.

The budget was the first agreed by the new council, formed from the merger of smaller authorities last April.

That change was made as part of the process known as devolution - a deal between London and local leaders to bring more money and power to the area from Westminster.

Officials said the savings made from the change - such as moving from eight council chief executives to one - had helped protect North Yorkshire from deep cuts to services that were being made elsewhere in the country.

The council's Conservative deputy leader Gareth Dadd paid tribute to the work done by senior finance officer Gary Fielding to bring together the eight council budgets.

He said 12 months ago, he was having sleepless nights over the "perilous state" of the council's finances.

'Envy of most local authorities'

But now, Mr Dadd said, work done by members of all parties meant the council not only had a strong budget plan, but a strategy to invest in housing and North Yorkshire's road network.

"We've achieved all sorts against the odds. No wonder we are the envy of most local authorities up and down the country," he added.

Mr Dadd also welcomed the approach taken by opposition parties during the budget debate.

He told the meeting: "Gary Fielding and his team have worked tirelessly over the last 12 months - that deserves the recognition of this chamber.

"I usually find myself with a long list of contradictions from the opposition side but, by and large, this debate has been conducted with a level of decency and seriousness and consideration that I don't think I've seen in this chamber for some time."

More than two thirds of members voted in favour of the council tax rise.