EAST Hampshire District Council is on the verge of approving its first freeze in council tax for three years.

But ratepayers in Petersfield are still facing a higher bill thanks to another inflation-busting rise from the town council.

Petersfield town councillors were due to be asked yesterday to approve a budget that proposes a 3.3 per cent rise in its precept.

The amount a Band D resident will pay to the town council over the next financial year will rise by £2.53 to £97.12 if the proposal gets the green light.

But approval also means the figure that the average resident will pay the authority will have increased by nearly £18 since the beginning of May 2012.

For full story, see this week's Petersfield Herald.