Cornwall's Liberal-Democrat run county council yesterday agreed to a 4.99 per cent increase in council tax.

There was little opposition to the proposal. Conservatives said they had been asked along with other members to support for the second year an increase in Council Tax at the capping limit of five per cent.

James Currie tory group leader was critical of the current emerging pattern. He said: "I presume that 4.99 per cent is to keep us from topping the table for a second year. In Cornwall we have a perception that we are paying more and getting less. We have a Dickensian situation in adult social care that is well matched by the waiting for some thing to turn up' nature of this budget.

"Our highly respected treasurer's department has indulged in a lot of pie in the sky'. We can only assume that they are confidently expecting some booty from the current round of asset stripping."

Mr Currie said despite warnings, the need for real efficiency savings the staff levels continue to rise. "We have just reached the magic figure of 20,000.

"This is difficult for the average council tax payer to comprehend when they only see their black sacks being collected," he said.

"The budget is a litany of wishful thinking."

The new budget will see Council tax bills for a Band D property rise by £46 - the equivalent of 89 pence a week. District and parish precepts still have to be added.

The county council's budget will now rise to £309.382 million. Council leader David Whalley blamed a combination of "inadequate Government funding and increasing budget pressures," particularly with regard to services for vulnerable elders and children, had forced the council to find additional savings of £15 million to balance the budget.

Other budget pressures included costs of £4m to provide services for people with learning disabilities following the investigation into health services provided by the Cornwall Partnership Trust, rising costs of waste disposal, which had cost the council an additional £5m this year and increased energy costs.

"This is not a budget of growth. It is however, a budget that gives priority to the most vulnerable and a budget that is realistic in a time of severe financial constraint," said Mr Whalley.

It is claimed that two out of every three properties in Cornwall are in the lower tax bands of A, B and C. More than one on three households in Cornwall do not pay the full amount of council tax at all, due to rebates and benefits.