HYNDBURN Council is set to increase its portion of council tax by 1.99 per cent from April 1.

This will increase the bill for a Band D family home by £5.11 a year and for the Band A terraced houses which make up the majority of the borough's housing stock by £3.40 a year.

The figures are contained in a report to the budget-setting meeting of Hyndburn's Full Council by finance boss Cllr Joyce Plummer.

It says: "Cabinet proposes an increase in council tax for 2022/23 of £5.11 per year for a Band D property.

"This is less than 10 pence per week.

"As most households in Hyndburn are Band A rather than Band D properties, the vast majority of households will only see a rise of less than seven pence per week.

"This is only the sixth increase in council tax by Hyndburn Council in 13 years."

Under the proposals the annual council tax for a Band A property in Hyndburn will rise by £3.40 a year from £170.36 in 2021/22 to £173.76 in 2022/23.

For Band B homes the rise is £3.97 from £198.75 to £202.72; for a Band C property £4.43 from £227.14 to £ 231.68; and for Band D homes £5.11 from £255.53 to £260.64.

The figures for larger properties are: Band E an annual increase of £6.24 from £312.32 to £318.56; Band F a rise of £7.38 from £ 369.10 to £376.48; Band G and increase of £8.51 from £ 425.89 to £434.40. Band H a rise of £10.22 from £ 511.06 to £521.28.

Cllr Plummer's report says: "It is expected that Lancashire County Council will raise its council tax by a general increase of 1.99 per cent and two per cent for adult social care which equates to a 3.99 per cent increase overall.

"It is expected that the police commissioner will increase a Band D property by £10 and that the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority will recommend a £5 increase.

"Altham Parish Council intends to increase its precept from £40.27 to £41.07 for the year.

Among pledges in Cllr Plummer's report are:
* continuing to provide free parking;
* a £24million investment in Accrington Town Centre including £20m from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund;
* a £12m investment to modernise the council's leisure estate;
* £250,000 of investment into Accrington Stanley Community Trust; and
* £240,000 to replace the artificial pitch at Hyndburn Sport Centre