COUNCIL tax payers in Teesdale have been promised better quality services in return for an above inflation rates rise.

Teesdale District Council agreed the increase of six per cent - more than three per cent below the national and regional average.

The authority's vice-chairman, Councillor Ken Hodgson, said: "I realise this level of increase is a bit above the level of inflation.

"However, this council has historically been a low-spending one and this has resulted in many years of under funding by central government.

"Such are the pressures imposed by the Government's modernisation agenda that we can no longer get by like this. If we are to provide quality services, while complying with Government requirements such as Best Value, electronic government, risk management budgeting and comprehensive performance assessment - the biggest challenge of the lot - it is not realistic to peg council tax increases to the level of inflation.

"The Government makes an assessment for each individual council as to what constitutes an appropriate level of spending to provide a standard range of services across the whole country. If we were to meet this target overnight, we would have to increase council tax by 23 per cent.

"Clearly, this is entirely unacceptable.