BILLS for county council services in North Yorkshire will rise by just under eight per cent in the next financial year.

The budget for the year will include an extra £1m which has been set aside in a fund to deal with last year's flooding problems.

In setting up the fund the county council plans to deal with problems linked to localised flooding, especially drainage improvements.

Council leader David Ashton said they had consulted widely before making their decision.

He added: "We cannot do all that people want, but we can respond on some concerns, so we have restored the help we give to the voluntary sector.

"We are also taking the lead in adding to investment in flood prevention work. We believe that by setting up a flood-investment fund like this we will be able to organise some of the improvements which are needed to prevent localised flooding.

"Adding 0.9 per cent to the original proposal for a council tax rise of seven per cent will provide the £1m needed to set up the fund."

The extra cash is in addition to North Yorkshire's share of funding for Environment Agency work on flood defences planned for the county's major rivers.

Wednesday's decision means that the county council budget will amount to £425.5m. For a Band D property it means the county tax charge will be £668 compared to £619 in the current year.

To that will be added the charges for the district and borough councils, parish and town councils and North Yorkshire Police Authority.