Ealing Council has decided to freeze council tax for the seventh year running – keeping bills at April 2008 levels.

The freeze will mean that the average weekly council tax bill for a band D household will continue to cost about £26 a week.

Councillors attending a meeting of the full council on Tuesday, 24 February, welcomed the bill freeze despite a £22.7 million cut in its annual government funding. This is a 14.7% reduction compared to last year and is a bigger cut than the national average of 13.9%.

Because of its financial pressures the council has set a budget reduction target of £96 million by April 2019, forcing it to change or stop some local services.

This amount was set in anticipation of significant ongoing cuts to its government funding. In addition, it reflects increasing demands on council services; in particular, adult social care, a shortage of housing with more families needing council help, along with rising costs.

The council has taken decisive action and has agreed to £67.1 million of net savings to date. The council still needs to identify £28.9 million of further cuts if it is to reach its target in the next four years.

Councillor Julian Bell, leader of the council, said: "I am really pleased that, despite the bleakest financial period in our history, we have yet again been able to freeze council tax. While other household bills have soared, council tax has remained unchanged for seven years."

"We know that many local people have experienced tough times and many will have had low or no wage rises over the same period. This is why the freeze is both fair and sensible."