COUNCIL tax bills in the New Forest are set to rise by just under four per cent from April.

The average Band D figure will jump from £1,129 to £1,223 if the increases levied by the New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council, the main charging authorities, are approved later today.

Most of the cash will go to Hampshire County Council, which is axing dozens of posts to limit its share of the rise.

Meanwhile, the district council is having to make cuts of £1.2m and is also shedding jobs.

Three employees have been made redundant and 11 others who retired or resigned from the authority have not been replaced.

Council chiefs have also been forced to increase fees and charges.

As reported in the Daily Echo, the annual cost of parking clocks has risen from £5 to £6 to help raise extra cash. The cost of using parking by the sea will increase by up to 15 per cent, depending on which car park is used and for how long.

Council leader Mel Kendal said: "Efficiency savings totalling £1.2m have been achieved across all services by setting department savings targets of five per cent, but no front line services have been cut.

"Staff reductions have been achieved by not replacing some retiring staff and reallocating duties."

Group leader Maureen Robinson said she would be proposing a council tax increase at tonight's budget meeting that was "considerably lower" than the one put forward by the Tories - but declined to reveal the figure ahead of the debate.

Cllr Robinson added: "Some of the savings are totally unnecessary.

"Examples include the decision not to increase concessionary travel for young people by £6,000, which seems a bit mean."

Cllr Robinson also accused the authority of "milking" beach hut users by raising rents by more than 30 per cent.

If the Conservative's budget is approved the part of the bill that goes towards paying for district services will rise 4.79 per cent from £130.94 to £137.21.

The county council is also meeting today and is likely to approve a tax rise of 3.5 per cent - the lowest increase for 30 years.

That would push bill for an average Band D property for its services from £840.15 to £869.40.

It means in the Forest the overall increase will be 3.73 per cent, resulting in an average rise of £94 per property. However, the figure will vary from parish to parish.

The overall rise in the council tax bill also includes increases in the charges for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Hampshire Police Authority and the 37 parish councils across the Forest.

THE AMOUNT BY WHICH SERVICES WILL BE CUT:

Coastal protection inspection and maintenance (£10,000)

Public toilet maintenance and repair (£10,000)

Street lighting maintenance (£5,500)

Measures to encourage cycling (£1,420)

Economic development initiatives (£35,420)

Green transport initiatives (£1,330)

Highway tree planting (£1,180)

Property services (£35,000)

Tax and services: (£100,000)

Grounds maintenance (£7,600)

SOME OF THE AMOUNTS RAISED BY INCREASED FEES:

Parking clocks (£46,800)

Town centre car parking (£85,600)

Building regulations (£30,000)

Land charges (£80,000)

Commercial waste from businesses (£6,000)

Burial fees (£6,000)

Special waste collections (£35,000)