Midsomer Norton Town Council has agreed an inflation busting rise in council tax which will see householders in a Band D property pay just shy of 11 pence extra a week, an increase of 5.7 per cent.

Ironically councillors were told at the full council meeting on February 1 that the reason why they needed to increase council tax was in part because revenues from council tax had fallen this year.

The meeting was told that an increasing number of families were now getting help with paying their council tax, due to financial hardship, so Midsomer council was getting less money in.

Cllr Brian Lawrence told the meeting that in addition to a a reduction in the tax base, the council was facing increasing costs, and it would not be prudent just to make up the shortfall from reserves, as they had done last year.

He told the meeting that the increase in the Midsomer Norton budget was for an increased spend in the town, and declining incomes.

The budget which was discussed was according to councillors the equivalent of someone in Midsomer Norton who had a house in the Band D bracket paying £102.73 a year ( up from £97.17 ), which equated to an increase of 10.56 pence per week.

It was revealed at the meeting that the increase could have been more, but that councillors including Cllr Stephen Plumley, had argued for a reduction.

Even so, Cllr Gordon Mackay showed his concerns and demanded to know how much money the council has in reserves. He said : " Each year it only goes up, every time. How much does Midsomer have in reserves?

" In a year when so many jobs have been lost, so many hardships and the tax goes up. This looks absolutely terrible.

" It is a financial disaster (for so many right now) and we are increasing taxes - again."

The budget, and the agreed precept increase was passed unanimously.