SERVICES across Babergh are facing a financial squeeze today.Babergh District Council has voted for an inflation-only increase in council tax but has warned its reduced income will mean it faces tough decisions in the future.

SERVICES across Babergh are facing a financial squeeze today.

Babergh District Council has voted for an inflation-only increase in council tax but has warned its reduced income will mean it faces tough decisions in the future.

Councillor Nick Ridley, chairman of the council's strategy committee, said he was deeply concerned about the hard choices facing Babergh.

He said: “The grant increase we are likely to get from the government for the next three years is around 2per cent per year.

“That, allied with the need to make even further efficiency savings and increased costs associated with government schemes, such as the Concessionary Fares scheme, will make Babergh's impressive track record ever harder to maintain in the future.

“Some particularly hard decisions may need to be made in the future.”

However he said he was pleased that from April the Babergh-part of residents' council tax bills would rise by just 3.9pc to £131.16 per year for a Band D property.

Are you pleased about the council tax decision? Would you prefer to pay more for more services? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.