A 3.5 per cent increase in the amount Huntingdonshire residents pay for district council services was rubber-stamped at a meeting this week.

Huntingdonshire District Councillors voted through the Council Tax rise, which will add an extra �4.34 per year on to the district council element of the bill for Band D properties, at a full council meeting on Wednesday.

The increase is at the limit expected to be imposed by the Government. Any more and the local authority could have been forced to hold a referendum.

For 2012/13, householders will be asked to pay �128.51 from April for HDC’s share, up from �124.17 for 2011/12.

The money will be used to help pay for the refurbishment of St Ives One leisure and the mutli-storey car park. Funding of �219,000 has also been set aside for CCTV, and for an inquiry into the A14.

The rise comes in the wake of a three per cent hike for Cambridgeshire County Council’s share of the Council Tax approved the day before (Tuesday, February 21) and a 2.95 per cent increase for the county’s police authority agreed on February 9.

Cambridgeshire Fire Authority approved a 2.5 per cent increase in their share of the Council Tax yesterday (February 23).

The result is an average Council Tax rise of 3.5 per cent from April, meaning a Band D property will see their bill mount to �1,515.63, based on an average Council Tax bill of �75 for parish and town councils in Huntingdonshire.

What do you think about the increase in your Council Tax bill? How will it affect you? We want to hear your views. E-mail news@huntspost.co.uk