UKIP has called for Cambridgeshire County Council to freeze its share of the Council Tax – with funds being taken from the authority’s reserves instead.

The county council’s Conservative group – which has the most councillors without having an overall majority - has proposed to raise Council Tax by 1.99 per cent.

Liberal Democrat, Labour and independent councillors, meanwhile, are believed to be pushing for a 3.99 per cent increase, making use of the additional two per cent adult social care precept authorised by the government.

But UKIP believes that raising tax is “unfair and an unnecessary additional financial burden on the majority of council tax payers” and says funds should be taken from the authority’s cash reserves.

Councillor Paul Bullen, UKIP leader at the county council, said: “UKIP are aware that millions of pounds worth of savings have already been made by this and other councils and that more savings will have to be made in the future.

“However, we also believe that further savings can be made, that this council can generate additional income from its significant asset portfolio and that we cannot continue to burden our constituents with further council tax increases year after year.”

Cllr Bullen says that the county council holds reserves of around £16m and that the UKIP group “firmly believe” that holding that amount of money is “wrong”.

He said: “It is now time to actually spend this money on providing those services that the public both want and depend upon”

A decision is set to be made at a meeting of full council, scheduled to take place at Shire Hall, in Cambridge, on February 16.