BICESTER Town Council has rubber-stamped its new budget and put up its council tax precept by almost two per cent.

The full council met on Tuesday to approve next year’s spending.

From April, the town council’s share of the bill for people living in a band D property will be £99.26 for 2012/13, an increase of £1.93 from last year, or 1.98 per cent.

Included in the budget is a two per cent increase in staff costs, a six per cent rise in utility bills, and a five per cent increase in grounds maintenance, which is billed by Cherwell District Council and has risen from £288,400 to £302,820 a year.

The town council has also set aside £30,000 for maintenance of play areas. Over the next six years it says it needs to build up a £190,000 pot of cash as the money paid to the town council by developers of new estates to maintain play parks is running out.

It has also withdrawn its £13,000 funding to the Courtyard Youth Arts Centre.

Other changes in the budget include a rise in the cost of the Christmas lights, from £10,000 to £15,000, after Cherwell started charging the town council for storage and maintenance.

Conservative leader at the town council James Porter said: “We have had a standstill for the past two years and one of the years there was a reduction in council tax.

“Unfortunately there comes a point, with pressures on the budget, that it was impossible to hold for another year.”