REDDITCH Council has pledged not to increase council tax by more than two per cent above inflation for the next three years.

This year's rise of nearly six per cent sparked a storm of letters to the Advertiser from furious residents.

The council vow comes just days before it adopts a three-year strategy plan which lists priority areas.

Key targets will be housing, community safety, the environment and best value, and for the first time residents will have the chance to assess whether or not those priorities are being met.

And the way neighbourhood groups are run will also be reviewed.

Residents will be able to judge how the council is performing against its targets and different officers and councillors will be responsible and answerable for each priority area.

Mr Cartwright said: "One of the things we need to look at is neighbourhood groups. They are certainly a way to get feedback but they are clearly not the answer.

"We have to see how they can be improved. We'd like more referendums."