Council tax payers in Worcester will be asked to find, on average, £72.15 more from April to pay for all council services they receive .

That figure includes the increases in precepts for Worcestershire County Council, Worcester City Council West Mercia Police and the Hereford and Worcester Fire Service.

Worcester City Council was the last of the four authorities to agree its budget and council tax increase, at its meeting at the Guildhall this week.

And the £5.24 increase for Band D payers, representing a 2.99 per cent rise, was only just approved.

Conservative councillors backed an amendment by their leader Councillor Marc Bayliss, the deputy leader of the council to freeze the tax levied by the city council at least year’s level.

He said: “This council has run a surplus for a number of years and it does not need this increase. I accept that other authorities in the county, including those run by Conservatives are not in this position and do have to put up their tax.

“But we believe you should only put up taxes if it’s absolutely necessary.”

Labour leader of the council, Councillor Adrian Gregson said it was necessary to ask for more money, calling the Conservative’s amendment ‘irresponsible and nakedly political”. He added: A freeze, with inflation running at three per cent would effectively be a three per cent cut in this authority’s budget

Cllr Gregson said a freeze in this year’s budget would put the council at a disadvantage next year, because it would only be able to levy an increase on a lower budget.

The amendment failed by the narrowest margin, with 16 Conservative councillors voting for it, but 16 Labour and two green party councillors voting against.

The full breakdown of what Worcester Band D taxpayers will be asked for is:

Worcestershire County Council: £1,212.38

West Mercia Police Service : £197.07

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service : £81.90

Worcester City Council: £180.48

Total: (without parish precepts) £1,671.83

Parish of Warndon: £25.98

Parish of St Peter the Great £17.15