Proposals to raise council tax by nearly 5 per cent were approved by Hertfordshire county councillors on Tuesday evening.

At the full council meeting in Hertford, it was decided that the social care precept would be raised by 3 per cent.

The funding will be ring-fenced, which the council says will “protect the county’s elderly and most vulnerable residents”.

However in addition to the social care precept, councillors agreed to increase the council’s core element of the council tax by 1.99 per cent, in an attempt to “help it continue to provide vital front line services such as fire and rescue, child protection, libraries and highways”.

Councillor Chris Hayward, responsible for resources, said: “While we would prefer not to place this extra burden on local council taxpayers, we have to do our utmost to ensure the best for Hertfordshire’s elderly residents. 

“This extra 1 per cent increase will cost a Band D taxpayer 23p a week, around the cost of half a pint of milk.”

In February last year the council identified that even if it increased its core element of council tax by 1.99 per cent in 2017/18, as well as raising 2 per cent from the government’s social care precept, a funding gap of £34m would still remain.

Since then, due to increased financial pressures, particularly in providing adult social care services for older people and people with learning disabilities, this gap has increased to just under £46m.