Aberdeenshire residents handed council tax freeze

Aberdeenshire Council has voted to freeze council tax for 2021/2022.

At a meeting this morning, councillors voted 60-to-four in favour of freezing current payments, despite opposition members’ concerns over the financial impact of the measure.

The move means the average rate for a band D household will remain at £1,300.81 until April 2022.

Council leader Andy Kille said: "I am confident that setting council tax today provides clarity and reassurance for the people of Aberdeenshire and allows us to plan for the year ahead."

In its budget last month, the Scottish Government offered the council £4.7 million to implement a council tax freeze.

The Democratic Alliance group opposed the move, saying that the lack of a longer-term funding commitment from the government meant it could result in losses for the council.

Councillor Leigh Wilson, a member of the group, said before the meeting: "The crucial question is whether the funding is recurring or non-recurring.

"If it is a one-off, accepting the funding this year and freezing the council tax stores up serious problems for the future."

An amendment put forward by fellow DA member Councillor Martin Ford proposed freezing the tax if the Scottish Government committed to a recurring compensatory payment.

The amendment was rejected in favour of the original motion.