A COUNCIL tax rise of 5% - more than three times the rate of inflation - was put forward by council chiefs today.

Kirklees Council's Cabinet tabled a £469m budget for 2005/06.

It will be the focus of the council's budget and council tax-setting meeting on February 23.

The budget includes a tax rise of 5%.

Council leaders say that more than three-quarters of householders will face an average tax increase of 90p per week.

Councils proposing rises above 5% have been warned they face capping from the Government.

Council leader Clr Kath Pinnock said that while services had had to find savings to meet the budget targets and keep the council tax rise as low as possible, there would be some key extra spending proposed.

These include improving essential services, particularly schools and social services.

Plans include:

* An extra £500,000 targeted at schools to raise education attainment levels at key stages

* About £1.5m in social services for children and families, older people and care services

* An extra £200,000-plus for street cleaning and associated environmental improvements

* More than £500,000 on improving warden services, pulling together the various wardens' services into a co-ordinated network

* Additional investment of £200,000 for library books

* Extra investment to boost recycling.

Clr Pinnock said: "More than three-quarters of properties in the district are in the lower A-C valuation bands.

"This means the increase in council tax proposed will be between 75p and £1 a week for the vast majority of householders."

Under the proposals the council's share of the council tax will rise on average by around 5%.

The final overall bill includes charges by the West Yorkshire Fire and Police authorities, over which the council has no control.

Of the approximate 165,000 properties subject to council tax, about 76,300 are in the lowest band A valuation category, 30,100 are in band B, 28,300 are in band C, 13,800 in band D, 10,100 are in band E, 4,400 are in band F, 1,800 are in band G and 80 are in band H.

Projected council tax levels for the coming year are based on a two-adult household.

Single adult households will pay a quarter less than the figures below.