AN attempt to keep the county council tax precept rise down to 3.9 per cent was heavily defeated yesterday.

The quarterly meeting of the Conservative-controlled county council overwhelmingly approved an increase of 4.9 per cent in its share of the tax after its leader said it would be irresponsible to go for the figure being demanded by the Liberal Democrat group.

This year's budget includes an additional £2.3m for adult social care, £1.2m for waste disposal and £1m for home to school transport.

Council leader John Weighell, who said the authority had little control over the level of council tax because it was influenced by the system of Government grant aid, said public consultations on this year's budget had been more intensive than ever.

He said: "We are one of the lowest counties for council tax anywhere. This is a no-cuts budget with a minimum amount of growth."

Liberal Democrats, who said they were concerned about people on fixed incomes, called on the council to use some of the £1.7m it received from the Government, under a local authority business rate scheme, to achieve a 3.9 per cent rise.

Group leader Bill Hoult said the council also had almost £6m in working balances and reserves of almost £40m, a rise of £11m on last year, achieved through underspending and savings.

He said: "We are very concerned about the people of North Yorkshire, and 3.9 per cent would be a realistic precept."

Councillor Weighell said: "A 3.9 per cent increase could be achieved, but it would be totally irresponsible to do so because it would come back and bite twice as hard next year.

"We are trying to run an authority that is not spendthrift, but is doing the job."

He said costs were catching up on the council, and that budgets for the following two financial years up to 2010 were problematic, with the authority expecting further 4.9 per cent council tax rises in each year and Government grant increases of only 2.5 per cent.

He said two pressures would be massive rises in the cost of waste disposal and care for elderly people.