Liberal Democrats on Vale of White Horse District Council pushed through their new budget with a comfortable majority - despite a vigorous attack from Conservatives on the inflation-busting rise in council tax. As reported by The Herald last week, Vale residents will have to pay an extra 5.5 per cent on their bills for local district services. A typical Band D property bill will rise by £4.59 to £88.19. County council, town and parish, and police demands have to be added. County councillors last week agreed a 6.25 per cent rise in council tax, giving estimated Band D figures (not including parish precepts) of £1,134 for the Vale and £1,159.14 for South Oxfordshire. The new precept was approved at the Vale council's budget meeting in Wantage by 23 votes to 16. Tory finance spokesman, Richard Stone, said there was an imbalance between income and spending - and, to remedy the situation, the Lib Dems proposed a four-year raid on reserves and general balances. "The cumulative impact is that our constituents will see the council's reserves spent and at the same time their council tax rise by 20 per cent over the next four years." Terry Cox mocked a "Walter Mitty" budget increased at twice the rate of inflation and Tory group leader Melinda Tilley described it as "laughable". Matthew Barber said: "Year on year, we see taxpayers' money being wasted, targets missed and promises broken, yet every year they take more money from the taxpayer." There will be increases in charges over a wide range of services provided by the council - and car parking charges will rise, mostly by 10p an hour, but some as much as 70p an hour, depending on length of stay. The cost of an annual season ticket for the Queen Street car park at Abingdon will rise between £100 and £200 a year - "Outrageous" chourused the Tories. But deputy council leader, Jerry Patterson, defended the rises. "The charges have increase by tenpence simply because that's the lowest coin size that the ticket machines will accept," he said. "The choice we faced was between increasing car park charges and cutting discretionary fares. We have improved car parks; charges must reflect this extra cost." In his last budget speech before stepping down as council leader in May, Paul Bizzell said the Local Government Association had calculated that council's needed a four per cent increase just to stand still. "With the changes to funding even keeping to a 5.5 per cent increase won't be easy, but we have been able to fund the pay and grading review, and other increases to costs, without increasing beyond previous forecasts or breaking our manifesto promises."