THE borough’s Tory prospective parliamentary candidate has welcomed proposals from Shadow Chancellor George Osbourne to freeze Council Tax for two years.

Stuart Penketh said: “Since 1997 Council Tax has more than doubled, according to a survey carried out by The Times newspaper and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

“This affects everybody, especially the elderly and those on fixed or low incomes.

“For years we have had central government dictats and threats of caps, but to no avail. It is refreshing to hear a Conservative government would reward sound fiscal management with increased investment.”

He added: “The proposals from the Shadow Chancellor, announced at the recent Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham which I attended, aim to share the revenue from government savings with councils which join the scheme and make savings themselves.

“People across the country will have a respite from higher-than-inflation tax rises.”