Council tax bills rise to pay for adult social care

Bristol City Council, Banes and North Somerset all voted to add 2% to the council tax bill to pay for adult social care

Council tax bills are to rise by up to 3.95% across the greater Bristol area to pay for adult social care costs.

Households in Bristol will pay 3.95% - in Bath and North East Somerset a rise of 3.25% was agreed while in North Somerset bills will go up by 3.74%.

The new 2% adult social care charge was announced in the government's autumn statement in November 2015.

It is similar to the Police and Fire Authority in that it is designed to be spent of a specific local service.

Included in Bristol City Council's budget is £56m earmarked for capital investment in new and existing council housing and a one-off payment of £500,000 towards the planned Bristol Aerospace Centre, documenting the city's central role in the development of the modern aviation industry.

North Somerset's decision to put up council tax is only the second time the council has agreed to do so in the past six years.

Council leader Nigel Ashton said it was "very much a last resort, but it is a road we have been forced down".

It means the average Band D council tax bill will be £1,208.40 - an increase of less than £1 a week.

In Banes councillors agreed to find £150,000 to upgrade and improve children's play areas and £85,000 to tackle the area's gull problems.

The budget has made £10m of savings - almost a quarter of the £43m needed over the next four years.