Suffolk’s element of council tax bills will remain frozen after the county approved the Conservative administration’s budget.

The full council meeting backed the budget proposals drawn up by the administration, rejecting an opposition Labour amendment that would have seen the reserves reduced to safeguard some services.

Council finance spokesman Colin Noble told the meeting: “Every department within the council understands the financial squeeze on public services and are committed to ensuring these savings are made, whilst trying to protect our much valued front line.”

However Labour leader Sandy Martin, making the case for reducing reserves said: “Stashing money in the bank when there are urgent needs, urgent investment needs which will help prevent hugely greater expense in the future, is not prudent. It is callous, and short-sighted, and doomed to failure.”

The amendment was lost and the budget was passed overwhelmingly after the council’s UKIP group joined the majority Conservatives to support it.