Increased demand for children's services may lead to an extra £1 a week on council tax bills in the Harborough district

The proposed 3.99 per cent rise would help bankroll a 20 per cent hike in demand for children’s social care and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The increase, combined with inflation, is driving up Leicestershire County Council’s costs by £117m.

Charging more council tax would generate an extra £12m to support vulnerable people, the council said.

Cllr Byron Rhodes, the council’s deputy leader, said: “Our budget foundations remain strong.

“Driving down costs and delivering good services is generating bang for our buck, underlined by being rated the most productive council in the country for three years running.

“Our financial position doesn’t make it easy but we remain focused on delivering the services our residents need.

“Over the summer, we asked for people’s views on our priorities.

“We’ve listened and plan to plough millions of pounds into children’s and adults’ services, boosting roads by fixing potholes, improving drains and tidying verges and combating climate change.”

He added: “We’re a green council and that’s why we are installing electric charging points, developing carbon-neutral buildings and planning a trailblazing, green housing development and an income-generating solar farm."

A range of one-off investments to support infrastructure for new homes features in the £600m capital programme.

They include creating 6,400 more school places - 5,900 mainstream and 500 SEND - expanding adult social care accommodation and rolling out high-speed broadband.

“Rapidly spiralling demand is ramping up pressure on both our service and capital budgets.

“We can balance the books for now but despite saving £210m since 2010, a significant gap is looming,” said Cllr Rhodes.

“Leicestershire is growing, requiring the biggest investment in the county’s infrastructure for a generation. “That’s why prioritising resources and improving how we work remain essential.

“A one-off cash injection of Government funding in the autumn was welcome but we mustn’t lose sight of the bigger picture.

“And future certainty, a cast iron commitment to fair funding and a longer-term solution for local government finance, for social care in particular, are essential.”

The council’s final budget will be rubberstamped at a meeting on February 19.