The council tax paid to the fire service is set to rise but there could be problems down the line.

That's the view of Wiltshire & Dorset's chief financial officer Phil Chow.

He spoke out after it was agreed the charge will go up by 2.99 per cent - a £2.17 increase for a Band D payer.

Councillors Fire Authority wanted to be able to put their portion of the tax up by five percent as those behind other parts of it can.

Mr Chow explained that he had been able to set a balanced budget for this year - but that there may be problems coming in future.

He said: “We have been notified by government that the employer contributions to the firefighters’ pension fund will be increasing significantly from this year.

“The government has agreed to cover 90 per cent of the next year’s additional costs with a £2.3m grant but we do not know what funding there will be beyond 2019-20."

Even if such funding is available, the low precept rises that Mr Chow expects the authority to be able to set store up some financial trouble for the brigade.

Chairman of the committee Dorset councillor Spencer Flower said: “I lobbied the government to be allowed to set a £5 precept, but one of the difficulties is that fire services’ voices are not hear loudly enough.

"If this authority wishes I shall continue to lobby to be able to set a higher precept as this has a significant impact on public safety.”

The 2.99 per cent increase will net the fire brigade £41.2 million over the next financial year, and with a government grants the total budget adds up to £55.845m

If increases in the council tax precept are capped at 1.99 per cent annually.

The brigade will find itself short of £942,000 in its everyday running costs budget in 20-21, rising to a £2.2m gap by 2022-23.

Things get even worse without the funding for pensions from Whitehall - a £3.374m deficit in the revenue budget in 2020-21 grows to a £4.6m shortfall just two year’s later.

Along with a £24 a year increase for Band D payers levied by Wiltshire Police and a probably3.99 per cent rise in Swindon Borough Council’s precept - Band D payers in the borough will be asked for £1,627.29 over the next year before parish council precepts are added on.