OXFORD residents face a 1.99 per cent hike in their council tax bill to pay for services next year, the city council has said.

For the average Band D taxpayer, the charge would mean an increase of £5.77 over 2018/19.

The news comes a week after Oxfordshire County Council announced it was also increasing its element of the tax bill.

City councillor Ed Turner, board member for finance, said: “Our aim, in putting together this budget, has been to protect frontline services, and focus additional investment on areas that need it most.”

Dr Turner added: “We’re not proposing front line service reductions. We’re not proposing outsourcing. We’re not proposing privatisation. We’re not proposing compulsory redundancies. I don’t think there will be many finance leads in councils across the country who will be able to say that.”

For taxpayers in need, Dr Turner said there would be help available through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. That is costing the council £1.2m this year and that is expected to rise to £1.8m from April 2019.

Increase in charges would be on top of an extra 4.99 per cent in council tax which Oxfordshire County Council said it will demand from residents next year, as announced by the authority last week.

Band D taxpayers will pay an extra £67 than they do currently. Three per cent of the 4.99 per cent increase will go straight into paying for adult social care.

Both increases are dependent on them being voted through by councillors at full council meetings early next year.