HOUSEHOLDERS in County Durham and Darlington will have to pay 1.9 per cent more for their fire brigade next year.

Members of the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority today (Thursday) agreed the rise for 2016-17, which will generate around £300,000.

But central government funding for the brigade is to fall by £900,000 and the brigade’s budget has been reduced by £10,000, to £28.608m.

The tax rise will mean an extra £1.20 a year for Band A householders and an extra £1.80 for Band D householders.

Councillor Michele Hodgson, chair of the Fire Authority, said: “We have again been able to set a budget that does not increase risk in our local communities.

“The increase in council tax helps us to balance the budget and means that there will be no increase in risk and no change to our emergency response standards in 2016-17.

“The increase in council tax represents £1.20 a year for the majority of our council tax payers, the equivalent of 2p per week.

“The risk of not increasing council tax is that the Authority would need to find more savings to balance the budget now and in future years against a backdrop of already significant and sustained government cuts to our funding.”

Durham Police’s precept is to rise by 1.98 per cent and Durham County Council will set its budget on Wednesday, February 24.