Cambridgeshire County Council has declared its intention to join fellow Conservative authorities in rejecting the offer of Government cash to extend the council tax freeze.

Citing fears of a £30m funding gap over the next five years and stressing the need to protect frontline services such as adult social care, councillors have set out proposals to raise council tax by 2.95%.

Cllr Nick Clarke, leader of Cambridgeshire CC said: ‘At the heart of this budget is the desire to do what is right for Cambridgeshire and our communities while meeting the challenging savings targets.

‘The alternative is a massive multi-million funding hole to fill in the future which would no doubt hit our most vulnerable residents.'

In hiking tax levels, Cambridgeshire joins Surrey and Peterborough in breaking Conservative ranks and rejecting extra funding equivalent to a 2.5% rise to maintain existing levels.

According to a financial statement, the council has set its annual budget at £849m and looks set to make £43m savings in addition to £50m reductions achieved last year. 

A £6.4m funding boost would take total spending on adult social care to £188.5m and ensure funding for extra schools places in the £77m children's budget.

But authorities such as Cambridgeshire which have announced small rises face the risk of being left out in the cold, following today's suggestion from communities secretary Eric Pickles that town halls agreeing to freeze council tax levels this year could receive future financial safeguards. 

Mr Pickles told a conference in London today extra grant support for councils which sign up to the extended freeze would be 'a key consideration in funding for local government at the next spending review'.