A FOUR per cent increase in council tax has been agreed by Wiltshire Council, as part of the authority's plans to make £25m worth of savings in the next year.

After a six-year council tax freeze, it was confirmed by the full council on Tuesday that their share of the council tax for a Band D property will stand at £1,271.20 which also includes the new social care levy, meaning bills go up £56 a year compared to last.

On top of this, each household also pays money in its council tax to cover the cost of Wiltshire Police and the new joint fire authority, and the town or parish council for its area.

In her budget speech, council leader Baroness Jane Scott said this year’s budget was “robust yet tough”.

She added: “A budget doesn’t drive our values, nor does it drive success. A budget enables us to deliver and to take action and to do what is needed to deliver our vision, to help our communities become stronger and even more resilient.

“We will continue to protect those most vulnerable in our communities especially older people, disabled people and those children who need our care and protection.”

She added that Wiltshire Council has to be tough in their approach as they spend £900m each year on more than 350 services and the council tax increase reflects the increased demand on services as well as to compensate the 16.3 per cent loss in funding from central government.

Baroness Scott said: “In other counties, we hear as it has been well publicised, there will be no children’s centres, no funding for young people’s activities, no support for arts, no grants for voluntary and community groups and vastly reduced services in libraries, leisure and other community services.

"This won’t be the case in Wiltshire.”

During the meeting, the Liberal Democrats proposed an amendment to the outlined budget, which was adopted by 69 votes.

The changes will see an increase in the proposed budget for children’s safeguarding by £125,000.

The amended budget will also see an increase in capital financing by £100,000 and the capital programme by £469,000 to fund sensory stimulation and developmental equipment for adults with learning difficulties.

It was agreed that the money would come from reducing the council’s overall budget on catering, saving up to £50,000, reducing the council’s fleet budget by £25,000 by removing underused vehicles as well as taking £25,000 from the rural grant.

Cllr Glenis Ansell, leader of Wiltshire’s Lib Dems, said: “Raising money through council tax should have been considered instead of accepting the hollow promises of the government.

“Last year, the Liberal Democrat amended budget proposed a one per cent increase in council tax.

“We were categorically told that the people of Wiltshire could not afford an increase in council tax. So how then I wonder just 12 months down the road will they now cope with an increase which is four times greater?”

Baroness Scott responded and said that in 2009, Wiltshire Council promised residents they would not increase council tax and they have “kept their promise”.

She added: “This is robust yet a tough budget. It builds on our ambitions and our pioneering approach to delivering services and how we work with our local communities.

"It will help to ensure that we can continue to make Wiltshire an even better place to live, to work in and to visit. And most importantly, a place that knows its vision, its priorities and it keeps its focus on them.”