Council tax payers in Keighley are facing a triple whammy in the new financial year.

The first and biggest blow is a rise of 8.4 per cent in the tax demand from Bradford Council. The increase means that householders in an average band D house could face an increase of around £70 on their basic council tax.

Secondly, Keighley residents will also pay an average of £5 on top of that after Keighley Town Council announced its first precept -- half the amount it originally anticipated.

Thirdly, large precept increases of around 20 per cent by the police and 30 per cent by the fire service, which will be added to the council tax total, are expected later this month as well. The Civil Defence Joint Authority has also yet to announce a final figure.

Bradford Council says it may need to levy the increase in council tax to meet its service commitments to householders.

Finance chiefs say an increase is necessary to close the gap between government funding and the increased demands on council services.

Bradford Council's finance director, Steve Morris, said: "We get from central government the best part of 80 per cent of our funding, the rest we have to fund through council tax, so the level of that grant is key to us.

"When we sat down and looked at what we are spending now and what we are committed to spending next year, then the gap from central government would require a council tax that would be 8.4 per cent higher."

Executive member for corporate and regeneration Councillor Simon Cooke said: "We are totally committed to maintaining a tight hold on budgets while ensuring we offer high quality services."

People in an average band D property (valued between £68,000-£88,000) currently pay £930 council tax a year.

This breaks down into a basic council tax of £824, with the rest made up of precepts from local services like the police.

A final decision about council tax levels will be taken by the full Bradford Council when it meets on February 27.

Keighley Town Council has announced that householders in Keighley living in the average band D properties will be charged a £5 precept, with people in higher and lower bands paying more or less respectively.

The charge will help cover the administration costs of the town council, which currently run at £79,470.

The town council had originally feared that it would have to set a precept at around double that level. But Bradford Council recently announced that it would provide a £65,000 grant for the next financial year, enabling the town council to cover the bulk of its costs.

It will also be able to carry through around £30,000 in its coffers into the new financial year. Councillors have proposed projects that will cost an estimated £59,000.

Chairman of the finance and general purposes committee Cllr John Philip said: "We invited all the chairmen of the committees to work out figures and what they have come up with are "perfect world" estimates.

"This is the best deal we can offer and this is our best guestimate. We have got to start somewhere and £5 seems like a reasonable figure."

Projects earmarked include a £20,000 package to improve the transport infrastructure in Keighley and £10,000 to introduce anti-crime initiatives. A further £5,000 has been identified for Keighley In Bloom and £3,000 for Keighley Day. Cash has also been earmarked to improve Christmas lighting.

Cllr Philip said the cash recouped would provide the town council with a level of "contingency" funding as a financial reserve. He added that they would seek matched funding for projects wherever possible.

Villages in the area not covered by the town council, like Cullingworth, will have their precepts set by their respective parish councils.