A freeze will be placed on Elmbridge Council’s portion of council tax for the next two years.

The council’s cabinet agreed to accept a council tax freeze grant from the Government, the equivalent of a 1 per cent increase, which would be received as direct funding for 2014/15 and 2015/16.

If approved at a meeting of the full council on February 26, the Elmbridge Council portion of council tax will have been frozen for six years out of eight.

Councillor John O'Reilly, leader of the council, said: “It is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain services, keep the council running effectively and yet still keep council tax increases low, as we have always promised.

“I am therefore delighted that the cabinet will be recommending no increase in the Elmbridge council tax for 2014/15, the sixth year out of the past eight.”

Last year, the council rejected the freeze grant and raised its portion of council tax by 1.95 per cent, the equivalent of 7p a week for a band D property.

The freeze this year will save the average household about £134 a year compared with inflation in the same period, with residents in a band D property continuing to pay £203.07 a year to the borough council.

The majority of council tax, 74 per cent, is paid to Surrey County Council, with the remaining 26 per cent split between Elmbridge Council and Surrey Police.

Last month, Surrey County Council announced its portion of council tax would rise by 1.99 per cent to allow the authority to “continue running key services while absorbing Government funding cuts”.

The rise is just short of the level, 2 per cent, which would have triggered a local referendum.