A BATH councillor has slammed the government for taking money away from the city in what he describes as a "pre-election sweetener" to other areas of the country.

A government proposal to reduce the revenue support grant (RSG) this year will result in a loss of £1.5m to Bath and North East Somerset Council, according to Liberal Democrat councillor Nigel Roberts.

Cllr Roberts said this reduction could result in a four per cent addition to residents' council tax bills.

He said: "Someone paying council tax in band D, which is the category most households are in, would pay an extra £2.72 on the £68 a month they now pay."

Describing the ann-ouncement as a pre-election sweetener to other areas, he said: "It seems the government is diverting funds to areas like Richmond upon Thames which are supposed to be less wealthy than Bath. I just don't see the logic. I can only think it's because we are nearing an election."

But Labour councillor Del Herod said: "We are still waiting for a full report from the council's finance officers. This is a complex issue and there are no simple figures.

"It is not our intention to change council tax payments. The council has a three-year financial plan and our aim is to stay as close to it as we can."

B&NES councillors agreed at a meeting, held last Thursday, to object to the government's guidelines which aim to slash the RSG, used by the council to set council tax.

Conservative councillor Malcolm Hanney said that the guidelines had thrown the council's plans to bring the level of council tax down to below the national average.

The removal of the £1.5m grant could affect on education and social services in Bath, he said.

Council spokesman Julia Dean said that the shock announcement had left the council reeling.

She said: "The government encourages us to forward plan, but it seems they have suddenly moved the goalposts just before our budgeting decisions."