Maximum council tax hike of 4.99% put forward
LDRSAn authority has announced plans to raise its council tax charges by the maximum of 4.99%.
Westmorland and Furness Council said a "sharp cut" in reduced funding from the government had led to "tough choices" to ensure it could balance the budget.
A new annual charge of £60 per bin for garden waste collections was also proposed, along with an increase of 10% in car parking charges.
Deputy leader Andrew Jarvis said the decision was "difficult and challenging" but there was "no option but to implement increases and charges that we had hoped we could avoid".
The council is to consider the proposals on Tuesday.
The suggested increases come after proposed changes to the government's national funding formula for councils were announced.
Jarvis said: "We have looked to get as much as we can from cost savings, but these will not be sufficient to offset the loss in government funding."
'Tough choices'
The council said while bosses felt like they had no option but to implement increases, they "recognised the impact this will have on many families and individuals who continue to struggle with ongoing cost of living".
Jarvis said the authority had a "firm intention" that residents' first garden waste bins would be collected for free, with residents only paying an extra annual charge for any extra bins.
However, he said in December it "became clear we simply couldn't afford the additional costs".
The recommendations also include increases in the charges for the use of Windermere Ferry, with a removal of the blue badge exemption.
