PLANS to freeze council tax in Southampton have moved a step closer.

Cabinet members in the city have approved initial budget proposals ahead of a final decision set to be taken in February next year.

According to the current plans, civic chiefs are expected to freeze council tax in the 2022/23 financial year, meaning that the overall charge for Band D households is expected to remain £1,644.39.

Previous pledges to spend £10m repairing roads and pavements, £6.5m to create 1,000 new parking spaces and  £600,000 to clean up roads and parks have also been renewed.

The moves are part of initial budget proposals but the final plans will be confirmed next February, which is when the budget will be approved.

According to the latest plans, Southampton City Council is still facing a £9m shortfall.

But city leaders said that will be addressed by next year – partly through government grants.

City bosses have also confirmed there are no plans to cut frontline services and said there will be no job losses.

Savings are instead expected to be made through measures aimed at improving efficiency.

These would include reducing the number of agency staff in the children’s service department.

The  council has also pledged to create 34 new jobs – 24 of which would be in social care – and to freeze rent and service charges for its tenants.

Opposition councilors previously raised concerns over the plans and how the authority would pay for newly proposed investment.

But cabinet members defended their budget proposals saying they are ensuring the council is as efficient as it can be and there are  no plans for the future to rely on redundancies or cutting services to balance the books.

According to the forecast, the council is expected to face a £25m shortfall in each of the financial years between 2023-24 and 2025-26.

Plans for free evening parking until 2023 and free parking on Sundays until the end of this year have also been confirmed.