RESIDENTS will pay between £19 and £56 more in council tax next year.

Kirklees councillors last night agreed a 2% increase for 2010/11.

In Band A homes council tax – including fire service and police charges – will rise from £915 to £934 a year.

For the most expensive homes in the district, Band H, the annual charge will increase from £2,746 to £2,802.

The ruling Labour party, along with the Lib Dems and Greens pushed through the 2% council tax increase against opposition from the Conservatives, who wanted a 1% rise.

The budget for 2010/11 includes an increase in spending to protect vulnerable children from £38m to £44m.

Labour council leader Clr Mehboob Khan said his party’s budget struck the right balance between protecting services and helping council taxpayers.

He said: “This budget has the correct balance of realism over resources and determination to make every pound count.

“An increase of 2% is much lower than the rate of inflation and is the lowest increase in Kirklees since the council tax was introduced in 1993.”

The minority Labour Cabinet supported budget amendments from the Lib Dems and Greens.

The Lib Dems won support for their plan to spend £1m on insulating council houses and £200,000 to support the Government’s boiler scrappage scheme.

Lib Dem Leader Clr Kath Pinnock said: “We have a set of proposals which will help the most vulnerable, reduce carbon and help save the planet. Our proposals will do nothing but good for local communities.”

The Greens won an extra £200,000 to extend the council’s Warm Zone scheme to provide free insulation in non-council houses.

Newsome Green councillor Graham Simpson said: “There are undoubtedly people who missed out on Warm Zone the first time round. We need to continue helping people save money and cut carbon.”

The Conservatives failed to win support for their proposed 1% rise in council tax.

Their spending plans included £42,000 to reopen New Mill Library.

The Tories proposed saving £105,000 a year by cancelling the Christmas ice rink in the Piazza.

Conservative leader Clr Jim Dodds said: “The difference between 1% and 2% may be small but it’s crucial to many people concerned about their household budgets.”

The Denby Dale man added: “We all know times are hard because of the economic crisis which most of the British public blame on Gordon Brown.”

Calderdale decided this week to cut its council tax by 1% in 2010/11. Wakefield’s council tax will rise by 2.4% while in Leeds it will be 2.5%.