Pembrokeshire County Council has approved a Council Tax rise of 3.4% for 2014/15, resulting in a Band D payment of £767, a rise of £25.

The final amount which Council Tax payers will be required to pay will also include sums for the Police and Crime Commissioner Dyfed- Powys and their Town or Community Council.

Councillor Jamie Adams, Council Leader, said the Council Tax rise in Pembrokeshire was the lowest in both cash and percentage terms in Wales, with the 3.4% increase equating to 50p per week.

He warned that if Pembrokeshire merged with Ceredigion, the Council tax would rise considerably to 15.9% which would equate to an extra £118 a year – and if Pembrokeshire returned to Dyfed, there would be a 26% rise, equating to an extra £193 a year.

He referred to the increase in many Town and Community Council precepts and said that they should not be criticised for undertaking some of the functions historically carried out by the Local Authority – such as some street cleaning, public toilets, and other functions.

The Council has to cut its costs over the next two years by £20 million as a direct consequence of the loss of grant from the Welsh Government.

“The key challenge is to protect the services which are valued by people throughout the County, and in particular those which are relied on by vulnerable people in our communities,” said Cllr Jamie Adams.