COUNCILLORS yesterday agreed a rise of 11.5 per cent to their council tax precept to ensure no cuts in services across North Yorkshire during the next financial year.

The news comes only a day after the North Yorkshire Police Authority confirmed a 76 per cent rise in their council tax precept to fund radical changes to its service.

Following a lengthy consultation process, the county council's executive said it was confident that local taxpayers would be prepared to pay more to maintain and improve the services it provided.

Leader of the council, Councillor John Weighell, said: "These are very difficult times for public services in rural areas, as we have already seen with the Police. The Government's new funding formula has moved money away from the shire counties to urban areas.

"We estimate to have lost about £10m from our funding share as a result of the new formula.

"So, we have had to face up to some very tough decisions which have had to be made. We recognise that the services we provide at county council level are vital to all our communities. Where possible, we want to improve them further, and that is why a council tax of 11.5 per cent is being proposed."

The proposed council tax increase will mean an extra £84 a year on a Band D property from the current level of £733.

The four key areas earmarked for funding are:

* Improving prevention work involving vulnerable children

* Increasing the investment in road improvements and flood prevention work.

* Maintaining planned improvements to public libraries.

* Increasing investment to prevent bed-blocking.

Despite the increases in both the county council and the police precepts, North Yorkshire will still have one of the lowest council taxes for shire counties in England.