DARLINGTON Borough Council is to raise its council tax less than expected.

Council tax in the borough is set to rise by 4.38 per cent, after the authority got more than it expected in a government settlement.

The council was planning to raise tax by 4.5 per cent, but the council's final grant allocation was £37,000 more than the provisional settlement previously suggested.

The rise is nearly twice the rate of inflation of 2.4 per cent.

However, council leader, councillor John Williams said the council had the lowest council tax in the North-East.

He told a meeting of the resources scrutiny committee: "It is entirely appropriate that we use this additional grant money to cut that figure further - and we have every reason to believe that we will continue to have the lowest council tax levels in the region."

With a 4.38 per cent increase, the average council tax bill - excluding the police and fire service precepts - would rise by 67p per week.

The council is planning to provide a string of new developments and services throughout the borough.

The projects include a £5m refurbishment of the Dolphin Centre, a £1m Arts Centre revamp, £43m invested in schools, an extra £2m for community safety, £11m for roads and pavements, £36m for housing improvements, the completion of a £3.9m facelift for South Park and the upgrading and expansion of the town's CCTV system.

The proposed rise must now be ratified at a full meeting of the council.