CRAVEN residents will seek a hike in their council tax bills for the coming year to an average of £1,670 after all authorities agreed to put up their charges.

Last night, Craven District Council was the last to agree to an increase it its part of the annual bill, following increases by North Yorkshire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, and town and parish councils.

Craven's part of the council tax will go up by £5 for the second year in a row, from last year's average of £157 to the coming year's £162.

North Yorkshire, which accounts for the largest part of council tax, increased its precept by just under four percent, including two per cent earmarked for social care, from an average of £1, 143 to £1, 189.

Meanwhile, the Police and Crime Commissioner precept has been increased from £217 to £221, while North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue also increased its part of council tax from £65 to £67.

The final part of the council tax, the precepts of town and parish councils, vary from nothing at all to £106 fro Ingleton, but there is an average two and a half per cent increase, taking the average from £57 to £59.

In Craven, larger towns, Ingleton, Bentham, Skipton and Settle, have set the highest precepts, while small villages and hamlets, including Bank Newton, Cracoe, Elslack, Hawkswick, and Kirkby Malhamdale, have set a nil precept.

North Yorkshire said it was faced with increasing pressure on its services and the need to make savings.

Its leader, Cllr Carl Les, said they would continue to press for fairer government funding given the higher number of older people and the higher costs of delivering in a large rural county.

“Many families are struggling to make ends meet and we do not want to add significantly to their burden if we can avoid it," he said.

“We face enormous challenges in delivering frontline services but we will continue to work with partners in the NHS and our excellent voluntary sector to deliver high-quality, sustainable services.

"We will continue to innovate and improve to support older and vulnerable people in living well and independently in their communities for as long as possible.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Richard Foster, leader of Craven District Council, also said the council faced difficult decisions due to the 'ongoing reduction' in central government support.

"We have continued to cut costs and increase income wherever possible and we have made savings of £141,000 over the last year. Given the huge pressures facing local government, the council has done very well to put forward a robust and balanced budget."