HOUSEHOLDS in Ipswich are facing council tax rises of more than four per cent, The Evening Star can reveal today.

HOUSEHOLDS in Ipswich are facing council tax rises of more than four per cent, The Evening Star can reveal today.

The final bills will be set by a full meeting of the borough on Wednesday evening.

The bills have been calculated after the council and Suffolk Police Authority confirmed their contributions to the council tax rises in the last few days.

Ipswich Borough Council's element of the bill is to rise by just under 3pc, meaning the overall rise will be 4.23pc.

That will mean people living in a Band B house - the most common size in Ipswich - will pay an extra £46.13 a year, bringing their total bill up to £1,137.08.

The Government's average home, Band D, will see its council tax increase by £59.31 to £1,461.96 a year.

Council leader Liz Harsant said the budget had been worked out without too much pain although the figures do rely on the council-owned bus company paying a dividend to the borough which has raised fears of service cuts.

Mrs Harsant said: “Apart from the issue with the buses it has all gone very smoothly.

“In fact it has been easier than we had feared. I hope there won't be too much difficulty in getting the proposal adopted by the council.”

Labour group leader David Ellesmere said a vote for the budget was a vote to cut bus services.

He said: “We shall be making the point in the debate that this vote would mean cuts to bus services all over the town.”

Other districts across Suffolk are also due to set their council tax rates next week, and the charges coming into force in early April.

Are the council tax increases too high? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk