Householders across Fenland are facing a rise in their Council Tax bills if recommendations by the district council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee are rubber stamped by the full council.

Committee members heard it was better for the council to put bills up by 1.9 per cent, which equates to around £5 a year for Fenland’s portion of the Council Tax, than to freeze it at the same rate as last year and take a government grant.

Central government offers a Council Tax Freeze grant, which would have netted Fenland around £77,000 in the new financial year but would have meant the council having to make cuts of up to £50,800.

A rise of less than two per cent will give Fenland income of £6,849,663 for the coming year, the freeze plus grant would have raised £6,798,854, a difference of £50,809.

Councillor Steve Tierney asked whether it would be better to freeze council tax and take the government grant bearing in “people all over Fenland are struggling”.

But figures produced by the council’s Chief Finance Officer Rob Bridge showed why it was better to have the rise and members agreed. The recommendation will go to full council next month for final approval.