MORE than £10m is to be slashed from county council services in Oxfordshire - but tax bills will still go up by ten per cent.

No services will be axed completely but jobs will go, opening times will be cut, and charges will go up to keep within Government spending limits.

The bill for an average band D property in 1998-99 will be £537 - up from £487 - with district and parish bills on top.

Councillors voted to protect schools and instead target social services. Family centres, care for the elderly and support for the disabled will all be hit.

Larry Sanders, joint head of the Oxfordshire Carers' Forum, said: "The most vulnerable people in society are being trampled upon. Waiting lists for residential care will go up while care at home will be reduced. It is a disaster."

Rowen Smith, deputy manager of the Cuddesdon Corner Family Centre in Blackbird Leys, added: "It's going to be devastating because we are going to have to reduce the services we offer, reduce the hours we are open and cut down the numbers of staff. "The family centre is having to deal with an estate that's growing all the time and it will mean there will be families in need of help that won't be reached."

Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors teamed up to vote through a "standstill" budget for schools to avoid education cuts. But the budget is still below the amount advised by ministers.

Labour group leader Cllr Bob Langridge said he hoped schools would benefit from Government grants to cut class sizes.

He told the council: "This budget is the most anyone could have achieved. What we have done is to pass money to schools.

"In social services, we have tried to reduce spending without closures."

Tories had suggested moving a further £1m from social services to schools. Cllr Douglas Spencer said: "This budget is robbing schools of £1m."

Green councillor Sushila Dhall, whose group proposed less spending on roads and fewer cuts to social services, said: "The needs met by social services are growing. They far outweigh the need to build in the green belt."

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Dermot Roaf said he hoped the "cruel and universal" capping of the council's budget would be lifted in future to allow more spending freedom. He admitted: "This budget is very unattractive indeed.

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