Ilkley Parish Council is to increase its charge to the average household by more than 22 per cent, as it commits £20,000 to Tour de France preparations and raises local awards and projects spending.

The Council this week agreed a £185,600 budget for the financial year 2014 to 2015 – including a £160,093 charge to the local community of Ilkley.

This will see a band D Property go from paying £19.60 to £24.04 a year to the Parish Council.

This follows a 1.82 per cent rise in the current financial year. Last year’s total budget was £153,885, and the precept was £125,851.

Other income is also expected to be down in 2014 to 2015, with a reduction of more than £2,500 in the Council Tax Support Grant.

Although several areas of spending have been reduced in the budget, the Council has also increased its spending in other areas.

The Awards and Projects funding will go up, from £53,000 to £60,000, and one-off spending budgeted includes £7,000 for the Neighbourhood Plan, and £20,000 for Tour de France spending.

The Council is also planning to spend £16,500 on Christmas Lights, up £2,500 from this year.

Councillor Joanne Sugden, who proposed the budget, said she felt councillors had been prudent in drawing it up and it was in line with local councils elsewhere.

“One hundred per cent of the budget is ploughed back into the local community,” she said.

“The work we do includes awards and projects, and other essential services we look to support in this period of austerity. It’s all welcomed by the residents.”

Councillor Bryan Websdale, the council’s project manager for the Tour de France, said council was already committed to about £8,000 to £9,000 spending on the hire of large screens for the race, but the extra money could pay for other facilities.

Talks about extra toilet provision in the town is ongoing with Bradford Council.