COUNCIL tax in North Somerset will rise by two per cent from April, one of the lowest increases in the South West.

Councillors voted in favour of the proposed rise at the full council meeting on Tuesday, meaning taxpayers in an average Band D property will pay £1,150.87.

Council leader Nigel Ashton said: "We are committed to keeping council tax as low as possible and although North Somerset is one of the lowest-funded councils in terms of government per head of population, we continue to be one of the lowest-taxing areas in the South West.

"We have achieved this through a substantial programme of internal efficiencies which has enabled us to cut costs while protecting frontline services.

"Sending out bigger bills to residents at this time would have created more resentment and placed some in even greater financial hardship, adding to the effect of the recession locally.

"But more importantly, keeping the financial pressure on revenue expenditure, planning ahead instead of reacting to events and investing to save, has meant that staff at all levels have had to find better ways of doing things, and they have done an excellent job."

The approved budget sees a continuing shift in funding towards frontline services and includes a 7.8 per cent increase in the children and young people's services budget and a 1.7 per cent growth in adult social services and housing's budget.

Mr Ashton said: "We are putting as much resource into these two areas as we can to help them cope with the increasing demand for their services.

"The additional investment will make sure that vulnerable children are properly cared for and are given the best possible chance in life; that young adults with severe learning disabilities will get the care they need and that the increasing elderly population will be able to continue to live in their own homes."

The approved budget will mean that the £19 million shortfall the council faced over the next two years is now reduced to £4.4 million, solely relating to 2011/12.

"Everyone at the council has been working to reduce budgets wherever possible while continuing to provide the best level of services possible to the residents of North Somerset", said Mr Ashton.

"We will continue to work on further savings."

But the decision to set council tax at two per cent – lower than inflation – was criticised by Unison, the union representing workers at North Somerset Council.

Branch secretary Helen Thornton said: "This signals the death knell for some of our most loved local services.

"It will also mean the closure of Poppyfields residential home for dementia sufferers, and the closure of Backwell, Banwell and Congresbury libraries, along with a reduced mobile library provision.

"It will ensure that the museum, Playhouse, Winter Gardens, Tourist Information Centre and leisure centres will all be sold off. It will also ensure youth services and children's centre's will no longer be provided by the council.

"Quite simply, this budget will result either in complete closure of services, or poorer services for the people of North Somerset.

"The two per cent increase amounts to 53p extra per week on the average band D council taxpayer in Weston.

"If we were all prepared to double that and pay an extra £1 a week on council tax, think what services we could save."