WE are surprised by Bromsgrove District Council’s decision, supported by both Labour and Conservative members, not to increase council tax for the coming year.

Perhaps in an election year we should have expected this, but surely when we have just been told that the council is cutting its funding to the Artrix by half and needing to take £63,000 from its own reserves in the coming year, it would have been sensible to raise this money from a small increase in council tax.

An increase of 1.9 per cent would not be a burden on local residents and we are not aware of any adverse criticism of the £120,000 annual council funding, which the Artrix has been receiving.

Indeed this popular and valuable community arts centre is an asset, which should be adequately funded by the community through council tax.

If it has to increase ticket prices or hire charges to cover costs its audience will inevitably be reduced and creative activities with young people could be lost.

Council tax banding is urgently in need of review throughout the country. It is based on 1991 property values and is grossly unfair in that properties worth £millions are in the same band as those worth £320,000. The average rate for Westminster is far lower than in Aberdeen.

We hope that the next government will make such a review one of its priorities.

Bromsgrove Liberal Democrats