County council leaders have drawn up plans to keep next year's council tax increase below 10 per cent.

A review, proposed by council leader Keith Mitchell and deputy leader Margaret Godden, was adopted by the council's executive on April 29.

The council's finance officers are predicting a 9.1 per cent council tax increase in 2004/5 with increases of 8.3 per cent, 7.2 per cent and six per cent in the following three years.

The officers want to avoid a repeat of this year's bills, which included a 13.4 per cent increase, prompted by a shift in Government funding from the south to the rest of the country. Mr Mitchell said: "Despite the regrettably large increase in council tax this year we are still starved of money.

"We are instituting a review to try to maximise our resources and to reduce the chance of our council tax payers having to suffer any more pain."

The council will be looking at its £1bn property portfolio.

Mr Mitchell added: "We believe we can shake some of it out, and use the proceeds to tackle part of the £70m maintenance backlog.

"There are scruffy school buildings and offices which are not fit for the century we are living in now."

The council is also considering sharing office space with the city council, which could save costs.