PLANS to increase council tax by almost five per cent and make £19.4 million savings have been approved in the West Sussex budget for the next financial year.

West Sussex County Council’s budget was approved at a full council meeting at County Hall in Chichester yesterday, with proposed amendments from the Liberal Democrats and Labour not gaining enough traction to be passed.

The authority will be spending £5 million on local children’s services, £14.8 million in adult services and £2.5 million on one-off investments, including delivering more homes and jobs, tackling homelessness, a road signage scheme and installing more solar panels across the county.

Conservative councillor Jeremy Hunt, cabinet member for finance and resources, said: “I don’t recognise the ‘severe cuts’ criticism.

“Surely we want people out there on the frontline, not people sitting here in County Hall and paying them thousands of pounds.

“We can’t just spend the money willy-nilly.

“This budget enables us to continue to invest in younger people to make sure they get the best start in life.

“We are ensuring that West Sussex remains a strong and stable place.

“It enables us to deliver the support and services our residents expect of us.”

The Tory-led council will make savings in highways and roads infrastructure, finance and resources relating to cost management and graduate trainee schemes, and the budget for the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme.

Liberal Democrat councillors proposed increasing council tax by an additional one per cent to fund an increase in social care spending and to protect schools from the cost of the apprenticeship levy for the county’s schools.

Labour proposed the budget should include an extra £220,000 for the school counselling fund and £430,000 to combat inequalities in Key Stage Two maths and English results.

Dr James Walsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats group, said there is a “disconnect” between Tory ambitions in West Sussex and the Tory Government’s policy relating to council finances.

A council tax rise of 4.95 per cent has been approved for the next financial year with an assumption in the council’s financial strategy of a further increase of 3.95 per cent in 2019/20.

The council tax rise will also include a two per cent precept specifically for adult social care.

The increase will see the average council tax for band D properties rise from £1,255.59 to £1,317.78 in the next financial year.