Council tax will rise by more than two per cent in South Staffordshire, it has been confirmed.

Around £4 million of cutbacks will also go ahead, including scrapping free taxi travel tokens for thousands of pensioners aged 60 to 70, free fruit trees will no longer be given out and the basic allowance for councillors will be £5,000 from April – a reduction of £150.

The council tax increase will see the average annual Band D bills be £1,377.19 and £1,471.17 from April, depending on the parish council precept.

The move was agreed by South Staffordshire District Council last night.

Other cuts include stopping in-house clerical training courses, axing a twice-yearly free bulky waste collection service in 2012 and phasing out free gardening services for parish councils.

Council leader Brian Edwards said: “This has probably been the most difficult financial strategy we have ever had to produce in the history of South Staffordshire District Council.”