COUNCIL tax bills in West Devon are set to rise dramatically after Devon County Council this week approved a 17.9 per cent hike in the charge.

The average county council tax bill for a band D property will be £904.05 ? an increase of £137 over last year. The county council says the budget will safeguard and improve the county?s schools, social services and roads at a cost of 37p a day extra.

Council leaders said service cuts had been feared following the Government?s funding allocation, but this budget had saved the jobs of up to 400 teachers, maintained money to care for the elderly, disabled and children in need, and prevented cutbacks in libraries and youth services.

The final average bill in Devon will be more than £1,000, as the borough, parish, fire and police authorities also levy their precepts for the year 2003/04.

West Devon Borough Council?s tax precept for next year is set to rise by 2.6 per cent, the lowest increase of six options presented to councillors. The borough?s council tax for a band D property will be £137.69, a rise of around a penny a day, bringing the combined county and borough increase to more than £140.

Cllr Roger Mathew told the full council on Tuesday the borough was in a position where it was able to make a more modest demand on residents, many of whom could ill afford to meet a large increase. He criticised the large precept rise levied by other authorities saying it appeared the police and county council had ?gone mad?.

Cllr Dick Eberlie said: ?The increases proposed for county and police make it all the more necessary to keep our increase down. I believe we have demonstrated as a council we are able to provide good services on tight budgets.?