County councillors have agreed to raise their portion of council tax by 3.94 per cent which is more than one per cent below the maximum allowed by central government.

It will mean those living in a band D property will pay an extra £1.20 each week in addition to any increases adopted by district, boroughs or towns and parishes. The police and crime commissioner raised his precept by 5.3 per cent earlier this week.

Warwickshire County Council's deputy leader Cllr Peter Butlin told this week's full council meeting: "The budget we are recommending to you today will continue to ensure that Warwickshire's finances are robust and sustainable. It is ambitious in the plans it sets out to shape Warwickshire as a place but does not take short term decisions that place our financial sustainability at risk or leave financial gaps to be closed in future years.

"We all use the services the council provides and we also understand how the current economic climate and cost of living means it is difficult for households to make ends meet. 

"Maintaining critical services and balancing this with affordable tax increases has been at the forefront of our minds throughout our budget discussions. In the end we have achieved the position where managing the inflationary costs facing our services means we have to increase council tax. This is unavoidable.

"We will use as little of the extra council tax flexibility provided by the government as we can to balance the budget this year. This means a 3.94 per cent council tax increase – a full 1.06 per cent below the maximum increase permitted by government. It is a rise that is substantially below inflation and is equivalent to an increase of £1.20 per week for a band D dwelling."

Cllr Butlin explained that the council had set out a number of principles that involved investing to support the most vulnerable in the community, investing to support further economic growth across Warwickshire and ensuring the services delivered provided value for money.

Among the headline projects is one investing £24.8 million to meet the growing numbers and costs of supporting the county's elderly citizens and those vulnerable adults needing help. A further £5.4 million will be spent on children's social care services, with £3.3 million of that earmarked for additional staffing.

Other commitments include £1.5 million to increase capacity in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) assessment and review service and £8.2 million towards the home to school transport service.

Cllr Butlin added: "On the whole I think we have the right strategy in terms of our budget and the way we apportion our money and the way in which we can deliver services for Warwickshire."