WORCESTERSHIRE County Council have formally approved £25 million worth of cuts and a council tax rise of 3.94 per cent at a full council meeting today.

This includes 1.94 per cent to protect vulnerable children and two per cent to accommodate the nationwide increase for adult social care.

The increase amounts to less than £1 per week for most households but means that council tax in Worcestershire has gone up by an average of 1.33 per cent in the last six years.

In response to the final local government settlement, Simon Geraghty, leader of Worcestershire County Council, said: “The Council has received an extra £2.5m for two years transition support as part of the Government's four year Settlement offer. We are considering how this is best used between now and 2020 to support our ambitions for this county and to help us to deliver savings of, on average, £25 million per year.

“Despite the news the Council continues to face significant financial challenges in future years. The decisions that we make will be shaped around those areas that our residents tell us are most important to them. “Our ambitions for Worcestershire remain unchanged. Worcestershire has the third fastest growing economy in the country and we believe that our future prosperity is in our self - sufficiency as a Council and in our ability to grow the tax base. It is our priority to continue to grow the local economy and create better paid jobs.”

The council tax rise could kick in from April this year and will raise more than £8 million for 2016/17.

Labour Councillor, Peter McDonald said: “The council is awash with money and could quite easily set a zero council tax increase and still increase services.

"There can be no excuses for having so much money in reserves and not using them for the purpose they were originally designed for - helping out in times of austerity.

"Quite clearly austerity measures have failed to improve residents' standard of living over the years, and have just led to one cutback after another."