A POLITICAL row is set to erupt tonight as Winchester civic chiefs attempt to approve the lowest increase in council tax in the city in many years.

The full council meeting is being urged to agree the rise of 3.2 per cent, pushing up average Band D tax from £104.40 to £107.82.

Under the proposals, motorists will be hit in the pocket twice - with an increase in parking charges and higher charges for parking permits.

The rise, at around the rate of inflation, is in marked contrast to recent years. Last year the increase was six per cent.

Hampshire County Council yesterday set its budget at 3.5 per cent after a marathon six-hour meeting.

Taxpayers in a Band D home will find their bills for the county rising from £840.15 to £869.40.

Charges for police and fire services have also been set and are added to the overall bill.

Hampshire police agreed a five per cent rise, upping the bill to £114.30, while fire chiefs agreed a 1.6 per cent rise, meaning a further £52.11 for residents in a Band D property.

It means a Band D property in Winchester town area will see its overall bill climb from £1,150.96 to £1,190.38, an increase of 3.4 per cent.

But the total figure for people living in rural areas will only be clear when parish councils set their charge.

The ruling Liberal Democrats on the city council have come under fire from the Tories who accuse them of plundering the reserves and from Labour who say they have squandered increased government grant.

The Conservatives are preparing amendments to force economy savings to be made this year instead of the proposed £1 million next year.

This year the council has avoided having to make the embarrassing savings such as the axing of part of the archaeology unit to save £80,000.

A controversial part of the budget is the hefty increase in parking charges set to bring in an extra £426,000.

Drivers will have to dig deeper into their pockets with big increases in residents-only parking and rises of 15 per cent for off-street car parks. The LibDems argue that the increase is reasonable as it is the first in several years.

Council officers have been sifting their finances seeking to cut out unneccesary expenditure.

Councillors' allowances which normally rise annually have this year been frozen.

Some £10,000 will be shaved from the tourism marketing budget. Using less paper for committee will save another £10,000.

An estimated £25,000 will be saved at the River Park Leisure Centre through energy-saving works.

Substantial sums of £38,000 will be saved because there are no city council elections in May. About £66,000 will be saved from the housing department by not replacing staff who leave.