Protecting the vulnerable, repairing roads and investing in schools will be top priority for the county council this financial year, say council chiefs who  agreed to increase council tax this morning. 

Addressing a full meeting of Bucks County Council (BCC) on Thursday, leader Martin Tett said "the road ahead is risky and uncertain", in the face of cuts to government funding, which declined from £61 million five years ago to £8 million this year.

Along with Dorset, BCC will be the first council to receive no support at all. 

Councillors agreed to increase council tax by 2.99 percent and implement a three per cent government social care precept - a move which was branded "outrageous" by the opposition. This would mean an increase of £1.40 for a band D home. 

Cllr Tett said: "I don't like standing here talking about council tax increases. I would rather be talking about a stand stead on council tax, or maybe even a reduction on council tax.

"We have to be realistic to maintain both the services for the vulnerable in our community, but also maintain a minimum on services on those things that most residents look to us for, and so we must increase our council tax."

Increased pressures in areas including children's services, which were branded "inadequate" by Ofsted last month, means the council will have to find an additional £34 million over the four year funding period.

Cllr Tett continued: "One of those pressures are in children's services. Increasing demand there in terms of the number of children we have to look after, and obviously I have to refer to the fact we had a very disappointing Ofsted inspection recently. 

"We have to recognise there is much more we still need to do on the side of improving the services we give, protecting children, who are our responsibility in this county, and I am determined that this budget gives us the opportunity to deliver."

However Cllr Tett said the council is searching for ways to reduce spending, including "major change" programmes in both health and wellbeing and children's services.

The leader remained confident BCC will continue to generate more income through a number of avenues, including working on behalf of other councils, and increasing its investment portfolio to "help protect front line services".

He added that BCC had generated £745,000 additional income over the budget set last February through commercial investment, making a total income generation of £75 million.

Bucks roads are also set to benefit after it was agreed spending on resurfacing roads will increase from £10 million to £15 million, following an investment of £26.7 million into highways.

And Cllr Tett proposed a "significant" amount of money should be taken out of reserves to further improve the counties roads, which have deteriorated over winter. 

A total of £36.6 million has been allocated to provide school places in the face of a growing population - which is expected to grow by 95,000 in the next 20 years.

The leader was quizzed on how chiefs planned to improve the failing children's services through this year's budget, and he assured members there will be a "stronger focus on case work and early intervention".

Leader of the opposition, Cllr Steven Lambert, branded the increase in council tax as "outrageous", saying: "What annoys me is not that you are proposing the increase, but it is done off the back of the poorest in the country at the same time we are going to see services diminish - whether that is library services, children's services, potholes, galleys, I could go on."

In a closing statement Cllr Tett praised his colleagues for making "difficult and controversial decisions", as the cash-strapped council struggled to make ends meet.

He said: "Nevertheless I am determined that this county council, yourselves, will determine that this council remain solvent, and continues to deliver on services to our residents, whilst maintaining a balanced budget and also looking ahead to the challenges we face here in Buckinghamshire."