A SECOND East Lancashire local authority has revealed plans to increase its share of the council tax by 1.99 per cent.

The proposed rise in Pendle will add £5.39 to the annual bill for a Band D family home and £3.52 a year to that of the Band A terraced houses which make up 60 per cent of the borough's housing stock.

The planned rise for 2021/22 is revealed in budget documents and comes on top of a proposed rise of 4.99 per cent from Lancashire County Council which provides key services and makes up the majority of bills for borough households and a 7.1 per cent increase in the levy to pay for the police.

Burnley Council is also proposing a 1.99 per cent rise in its share of council tax.

The documents to be considered by Pendle Council's Policy and Resources Committee say: "Increasing council tax by 1.99 per cent will give rise to a Band D charge of £276.01, an increase of £5.39 compared to the charge in the current year of £270.62.

"Over 60 per cent of our dwellings are in Band A for which the equivalent increase would be £3.52 giving rise to a Band A charge of £184.01, up from £180.41 in this year."

The proposed rises, the maximum legally allowed without a referendum, are the equivalent of 10p a week for a Band D home and 7p a week for a Band A property.

Cllr Mohammed Iqbal, leader of the borough, said: "The government has, despite its promises, failed to level up the funding gap for Pendle and we are faced with some very difficult decisions going forward."

The council tax level will require confirmation by Pendle Full Council on February 25.