SOUTHAMPTON residents look set for a year with no increase in council tax, it has been revealed.

City leaders have pledged 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.

They have also renewed their 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.

The projects are in Southampton City Council's initial budget proposals.

The final plans will be published in February 2022, which is when the budget will be approved.

According to the latest proposals, the authority 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 authority 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.

Cllr John Hannieds, cabinet member for finance and capital assets, said the council will review its property portfolio and will look to generate new income through council tax and business rates as new homes and businesses will be created as part of major schemes such as the redevelopment of the Bargate and Leisure World sites.

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.

When asked whether there is any risk of cuts and redundancies in the coming years Cllr Hannides said: "We are ensuring that we are as efficient as we can be. Savings don't mean cuts, sometimes it's just being smart with how you are spending your money. We have got no plans for the future to rely on redundancies or cutting services to balance the books. I am sure that we are in a strong position to continue what we started."

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

Council leader Cllr Daniel Fitzhenry described the new budget proposals as a "platform for the future".

"This is just the beginning of what we can achieve and what the city can achieve," he said.

But leader of the opposition Cllr Satvir Kaur described the plans as "short-term measures that will continue to max out the credit card with no longer-term plan".

Cllr Darren Paffey, deputy leader of the opposition, added: "Here we see Conservatives more interested in vote-chasing projects while kicking the can down the road on how they're going to pay for it all."