FRUSTRATIONS over the “insufficient” funding for free bus travel did not prevent Christchurch councillors from unanimously agreeing to the lowest council tax rise in years.

The full council met on Tuesday and confirmed that its part of the council tax for 2009/10 will increase by 3.9 per cent, the lowest rise for six years and one of the lowest in Dorset.

This means its share of the average band D council tax will go up by £6.43 a year to £169.58.

In his budget speech, Cllr Mike Duckworth, chairman of the resources committee, told the meeting the council tax rise has been kept to a minimum, thanks to council savings of around £1 million in the past five years.

Without these savings the council tax could have risen by as much as 30 per cent, he claimed.

And councillors, while praising the overall budget, expressed their frustration over central government’s funding arrangements for concessionary travel as it was revealed tax-payers subsidise the scheme to the tune of £390,000 or 11.5 per cent of the council tax.

Cllr Duckworth said: “The council has always welcomed reduced price free travel for the over-60s.”

But he added: “It is particularly frustrating to hear the spokesman for the Department of Transport repeating frequently that the scheme is fully funded.

“The scheme may be fully funded but not necessarily in the right places.”

He referred to a recent news report that stated the Isles of Scilly have received a grant of £51,000 for concessionary travel, despite the Scilly Isles having no buses.

But despite unsuccessful attempts in the past to lobby the government, he told the meeting a joint approach is now being co-ordinated by the district councils and Dorset County Council to provide enough ammunition for local MPs.