COUNCIL taxpayers could find their bills for Buckinghamshire County Council services going up by about 5.2 per cent next April.

If that happens it would be the lowest increase in the four-year life of the current council and just in time for the county council elections in May.

The council is benefiting from bigger government grants in the run- up to the general election, which is also likely in May, and government recognition of the extra expense of running a council so close to London.

The county council share of the bill for taxpayers in Band D properties currently stands at £645.70. A raise of 5.2 per cent would bring it up to £679.28.

The likely increase compares with 7.5 per cent in 2000/1 and 9.9 per cent the year before.The final increase for 2001/2 will depend on how much more Wycombe District Council and Thames Valley Police demand.

But with the services provided by the county education, social services and environmental services being by far the biggest chunk of the bill, the figure is likely to be somewhere around 5 per cent.

When the county council's cabinet met on Monday, leader Cllr David Shakespeare said there was really excellent news for schools. "It looks as if there will be £6 million more over and above inflation and pay pressures."

Cllr Shakespeare said there would also be £1 million more than expected for social services which would go a long way towards filling the gap between the amount of money available and what was needed.

The ability to get council tax down a bit, though the rise is still above inflation, is good news for Tory county councillors facing re-election next May.

But all this seemingly cheery news doesn't mean there will be no cuts in the coming year.

Each department has already had to find savings of two per cent and the county is still short of £913,000 to balance the books.

Savings would have to come either by cuts in services, by taking money from reserves, or from the taxpayer. And an extra £1 million spending would mean one per cent more on the council tax bill.