SKIPTON Town council is to increase its Council Tax precept by just under five percent - the first time it has raised the amount what it asks of the town's residents in three years.

The 4.98 percent rise means Skipton residents will pay £4.78p per year more for an average Band D property, taking the current annual charge of £95.09 to £100.74 from next April and raising £570,000 for the council to spend on putting on town events, such as the Christmas markets and turning on of the festive lights, and also a new £20,000 community grants scheme.

At Monday's Extraordinary Meeting, called after the original budget setting meeting on December 7 was abandoned following a break down in communications between councillors, members were told that the biggest possible pressure on its finances were repair of the Holy Trinity churchyard wall and at the Raikes Road Burial ground - both of which were being monitored for signs of movement and which if repair was needed would swallow up most of the council's £150,000 reserves.

Possible areas of savings were a re-negotiation of the nine-year lease of the market setts in front of the now closed Rackhams/House of Fraser building with the property owners, and a new contract for grass cutting and the emptying of dog waste bins. A discussion on savings to do with staff was moved into private session.

Chief officer Louise Close reminded members that while they were setting the precept, the budget was not 'set in stone' and that it would be reviewed at finance meetings of the council and that things could change from the start of the new financial year in April.

Councillor Aidan Higgins, in proposing approval of both the budget and the precept, led tributes to the council staff for putting in a lot of hard work.

It was a very good budget he said and a very good year for the council so far.

"We recently put on the best Christmas markets for decades. One of our long term market traders said he had made more money than he had for a long, long time. This budget will allow us to continue that good work but also extend it."

He added: "For the last three years, this council has frozen its precept demand. I think this has shown extreme financial prudence and I would like to thank the officers for finding savings and for finding new ways of doing more for less.

"At the moment, things are very tough for people. Inflation is running very, very high. We have come to the end of the road in terms of what we can do without putting up Council Tax. A 4.9 per cent increase will allow us to fulfil all the good things we want to do, putting on events and delivering community grants funding while also looking after the services that we do."

He added the increase would also allow a financial buffer and pointed out the increase was still below the level of inflation.

Cllr Chris Harbron, who seconded approval of both the budget and precept said both had succeeded in protecting public money while providing services.

Monday's meeting was attended by all members of the council apart from councillors Virpi Kettu and Robert Heseltine, who gave their apologies, and by councillors Rick Judge and Claire Nash, who were absent but without sending in their apologies.

Other authorities making up the Council Tax, North Yorkshire Council and the police and fire authority, are also expected to increase their precepts.