A COUNCIL is to increase council tax by almost three per cent meaning the average household will pay an extra 10p a week.

Sevenoaks District Council has set its budget with council tax to go up by 2.9 per cent from April, its lowest increase in 15 years.

The average council tax charge will be £181.89 a year or 50p a day, which applies to band D properties.

Savings of £1.2m are needed in the next financial year to balance the council’s books.

The district council’s cabinet member for finance, Councillor Brian Ramsay, said: “Next year’s budget has been a particular challenge as we are faced with, yet again, the lowest increase in grant of any district council in the country combined with reduced income from our services.”