COUNCILLORS threw out a proposal at last night's (Thursday's) full meeting of North Herts District Council for a freeze on allowances. The Lib Dems put forward a motion for a zero per cent increase in councillors' allowances which was rejected by the majority

COUNCILLORS threw out a proposal at last night's (Thursday's) full meeting of North Herts District Council for a freeze on allowances.

The Lib Dems put forward a motion for a zero per cent increase in councillors' allowances which was rejected by the majority Tory group, who pushed through a rise of 2.45 per cent, way below the five per cent increase recommended by an independent panel.

Council tax rises will now go up by 3.9 per cent, not the 4.5 per cent agreed by Cabinet last week. Cabinet wanted to keep rises in line with other councils in Hertfordshire and feared capping by central government so agreed to the lower figure. This will mean an increase of 14p a week on a Band D property.

An emergency meeting of the Cabinet last night, convened after the Bank of England reduced interest rates by half a percent to one per cent, agreed to find the �210,000 deficit by taking money from the IT budget.

a further �40,000 will be taken from the IT budget to make up the shortfall causes by reducing the council tax rate.