Council-tax payers in Waveney will not see a rise in their district council precepts for the next year.

Last night Waveney District Council agreed to freeze council tax for 2011/12 after it set a balanced budget. It will mean a Band D council tax payer will have to pay �147.51.

As well as freezing the precept, the council said its budget of �15m for 2011/12 will not affect front-line services. Because of low levels of government funding for 2011/12, Waveney was facing at least a predicted �1.5m funding shortfall.

However, council leader Mark Bee said the gap had been 'plugged' by merging top level management with Suffolk Coastal District Council and by efficiency drives in the council and with partner service organisations such as Waveney Norse.

Mr Bee said he was proud his council had successfully produced a balanced budget to tackle the 'cold wind currently blowing through the public sector with cuts to services'.

However, the leader of the opposition Labour group said Mr Bee's adminis-tration had failed to deal with the problem of an estimated �2.5m budget shortfall by 2014. John Shananan, whose party abstained in the budget vote, said the council could generate more money by improving housing stock, providing services to the private sector and making better use of town hall facilities.