Council tax bills across Cornwall look likely to rise by at least four per cent this year following a decision made at County Hall last week.

Cornwall Council's cabinet members have recommended that the authority's claim from the tax should rise by 3.97 per cent in the 2016/17 tax year.

The overall figure is likely to be higher still, as the bill is made up of three portions claimed by Cornwall Council, the police and the town or parish council precept.

If approved by the full council later this month, the figure would be double last year's increase of 1.97 per cent for the 2015/16 tax year.

This would equate to a rise of £51.37 a year on a Band D property, taking in the Cornwall Council portion of the tax alone.

Writing about the recommended increase in his online blog, cabinet member and Cornwall Councillor for Helston and Porthleven, Andrew Wallis, said: "Any reader of this blog will know the austerity imposed on local authorities like Cornwall Council has resulted in services being reduced or stopped.

"Raising taxes is not something we want to do. However, the very fact Cornwall Council has had its budget slashed by government so much, there is little other option but to raise council tax."

He said that, despite a government spending review, it had still reduced Cornwall's grant by a further £6million "in a rather underhanded way."

One positive result of the review, however, was that local authorities could now opt for a four-year funding settlement rather than a yearly one, which Mr Wallis said would give the council the chance to plan rather than wait "to play the guessing game" each year on how much funding the council would lose.

Mr Wallis said in the council’s four-year budget plan, Cornwall Council’s council tax rate would rise by 1.97 per cent.

"This is not because we want to, but because many millions have been taken away by the government by means of the grant," he explained.

Mr Wallis also spoke about the new two per cent increase in council tax that Chancellor George Osborne has introduced, which can only be spent on adult social care.

"At face value this is good, as more funding will go towards adult social care. However, [of] the £21million this will raise over the next four years, £16million will go towards implementing the government's living wage in this sector.

"I am a firm believer in the minimum wage, but this should be funded correctly by the government, and not left to local taxation.

"This also means you end up with a postcode lottery on the amount of money it raises due to the council tax base rates which differ between each local authority," said Mr Wallis.

He also spoke of his "annoyance" that directing that the money be spent on just adult care ignored the children's services and said: "The government has again forgotten about this very important element in this levy."

Despite this he added: "Yet, this will improve this service area not only in wages, but it will protect some of the services. If the social care precept was not added, then these services would be at risk because of the cuts to the government’s grant."