Communities secretary Eric Pickles has today hailed official figures showing three-in-five English councils have accepted a Government cash grant to freeze council tax in 2014/15.

Statistics released this morning by the DCLG show that average band D council tax levels increased by 0.9%, to £1,468 – a sum Eland House officials claim as one of the lowest changes ever and a real terms cut. In London council tax bills decreased in cash terms by 0.4%.

In total some 251 English councils, representing 60% of the total, have signed up to receive a grant equivalent to a 1% increase on 2013/14 charges to hold down levels.  

The figure is slightly down on last year's total, when 257 authorities took the cash sweetener for 2013/14.

This indicates the DCLG has successfully held the line following the previous year, when the proportion of councils signing up to freeze council tax plummeted from 85% to 61%.

‘In the last decade, council tax bills went through the roof. This Government has been working to keep council tax down, giving hard-working people greater financial security,' said Mr Pickles today.

‘We have given extra government funding to town halls to help freeze council tax, which has cut bills by more than 11% in real-terms,' he added.