Savings of more than £800,000 have been identified as Cheltenham Borough Council finalised its budget for the coming year.

The draft budget went before councillors at a full meeting of the authority last night and was approved.

In a statement, the borough council said a need to modernised, become financially sustainable and carbon neutral by 2030 has led to a "commercial mindset."

It added that funds had been adjusted and that resources would be used to achieve specific targets.

One of those is the long-held desire for the town to have its own winter ice rink on Imperial Gardens.

The council statement said: "The budget identifies £826,000 savings for the coming financial year and up to £100,000 lending facility to the Cheltenham BID for an ice rink for winter 2020.

"Garden waste charges have been frozen, including the prompt payment discount for early renewal.

"There will be a small increase in the district council's share of council tax. The increase of 2.39 per cent will take the borough element of council tax up to £214.08 for the average Band D taxpayer, an increase of £5 a year."

Councillor Rowena Hay, cabinet member for finance, said: "In recent years, we have worked tirelessly to cut costs and make savings in our budgets in response to challenges in local government funding cuts.

"Our overriding responsibility has to be to protect local services, even if it means a modest increase in council tax.

"Now we need to press ahead with some major projects, and take a strategic approach to ensure their success.

"The investments that we are making in the borough are underpinned by strong resident satisfaction that show overall 84 per cent of Cheltenham residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live."

Within the budget £1.6million originally set aside for redevelopment of the Town Hall has been reassigned due to options identified being ruled unaffordable.

Of that, £350,000 has been set aside for a climate emergency fund, in order to facilitate the ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030.

A further £150,000 has been budgeted to redevelop the public conveniences in Sandford Park while £75,000 from the planned maintenance reserve will be used to deliver 'corporate plan priorities.'

The council are also committing to a £1.2million investment to "support commercial opportunities identified by the Cheltenham Trust, including a £200,000 contingency for the splash-pad at Leisure at Cheltenham.

There has also been £200,000 earmarked to purchase 'in cab' technology for the Ubico fleet which will deliver a number of financial, service related and carbon reduction benefits, according to the council.