RESIDENTS in the Ribble Valley could benefit from an eighth council tax bill freeze in less than a decade.

The proposed council tax freeze was agreed by Ribble Valley Council’s policy and finance committee, but is subject to the approval of a full council meeting on March 5.

The council’s share of council tax on a Band D property will be £150.69 in 2019/20.

Ribble Valley Council leader Stephen Atkinson said: “Despite acquiring over 2,000 extra households, the council has maintained excellent service levels in one of the sparsest boroughs in the UK.

"This has been achieved by many years of careful and prudent financial planning, and I am grateful to councillors and staff for their dedication and commitment in continuing to deliver efficient, effective services to national standards, while achieving good public satisfaction ratings.

“The coming year will see capital investment by the council of £2.7 million, of which the highlight is over £1.4m in new facilities at the Edisford Sports Complex, enabling our youngsters and residents to play football, rugby, cricket, tennis, netball and basketball.

"This first-class facility will provide important far-reaching leisure, health and wellbeing benefits for years to come.

“Ribble Valley has a bright future and the council will continue to prioritise the needs of our residents and implement policy decisions to maintain and enhance services for their benefit.”