SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) has reduced its element of the council tax bill for the third year running.

In its budget for 2014/2015, district councillors have agreed to cut the SODC part of the tax bill by 2.5 per cent.

Already the 14th lowest district council tax in England, SODC’s council tax charge is expected to be in the 10 lowest charging councils when residents start paying their bills next month.

Council leader Ann Ducker said: “There is also £1m in the grants budget and no cuts in services.”

In South Oxfordshire, the average Band D property will pay £114.68 council tax for services provided by the district council, as part of a total bill of £1,558.76.

Conservative Mrs Ducker said earlier that the council was continuing to set lower council tax payments, despite reductions in Government funding.

She added that the authority was always looking for ways to improve efficiency, stop waste and increase income, and that the council was run more like a business than a local authority.

Neighbouring Vale of White Horse District Council froze its council tax demand, and council taxpayers will be billed for £116.69 by the district council for an average Band D home, with the total bill £1,548.09.