Alton Town Council approved its 2023-24 budget and council tax precept when the local authority met on February 1.

An average Band D household will pay £110.28 towards the cost of its services, a rise of £2.69 – or 2.5 per cent – on 2022-23.

This equates to an overall precept request – the total amount the town council aims to raise from tax payers – of £826,978.69.

The number of households in the town council area has increased from 7,261 to 7,499 in the past year.

The rise in the precept and the extra 238 households mean the town council expects to collect £45,783.84 more than in 2022-23.

The figures had previously been agreed by the policy and resources committee.

During 2022-23 the council allocated £145,596 from its reserves, including £40,000 towards the cost of the pump track in Anstey Park and a sum towards the eventual replacement of the 3G pitch at Alton FC’s Anstey Park Enclosure ground.

A price obtained in November suggested a replacement pitch would cost around £185,000 plus VAT, a total of around £222,000. This is expected to rise by five per cent each year.

The council’s pitch fund will be £220,861 by the end of the 2022-23 financial year.