A CALL by the Government to freeze council tax has fallen on deaf ears in south Devon.

South Hams District Council has voted to raise its share of the Devon County Council tax bill by 2.5per cent, which amounts to an extra £3.36 a year for the average Band D property.

After the decision yesterday, council leader Cllr John Tucker said the authority would be left with a £129,000 black hole in its finances if it accepted a Government grant to freeze the council tax for 2012/13.

"The Government is only compensating us for one year and that gives us a real problem. If we accept the grant of £129,000 we would have to find that amount next year plus all the extra costs our services face every year too, such as inflation."

Mr Tucker said: "If we had not had the foresight to share services with West Devon Borough Council over the past five years we would be looking at cuts to our frontline services."

The district council is also freezing car parks charges for the next year.

Other authorities in the region face the same dilemma as the South Hams.

Plymouth City Council has yet to decide whether to put up council tax this year or accept the Government's one-year grant to hold tax at its present level.

Cllr Ian Bowyer, the city's Cabinet member for budget and finance, said this week that he would decide closer to the time of the next full council meeting on February 27. Meanwhile, the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority will vote next week on whether to increase its own contribution from council taxpayers.