There will be no mass redundancies or major cuts as part of next year's budget for Labour-run Oxford City Council.

That is the pledge from council leader Alex Hollingsworth, who will unveil his budget plans for 2003/4 at Monday's (December 2) executive board.

For the first time, the council has set out spending plans over a three-year period across all areas of operations, including general spending, housing and capital investment.

Six area committees across Oxford will discuss the proposals in January, and invite the public to comment.

Mr Hollingsworth said: "I'm confident that there'll be no unpleasant surprises.

"We've made our assumptions based on worst-case scenarios and we're hoping for a decent settlement from the Government."

But Liberal Democrat and Green councillors said the budget would mean some cuts.

This year, 2002-3, the Liberal Democrat-Green administration made £6m of cuts in services in its budget and made about 80 staff redundant.

The Labour administration, which took over the council in May, was forced to adhere to the cuts package, but it is promising a change with its first budget since taking control.

Key features include:

Annual council tax increases of four per cent (15p a week increase for a Band D property).

£5.6m for street cleaning over the next three years.

£10.8m for new affordable housing over the next three years.

A central staff training budget, rising to two per cent of the payroll over three years (current level is 0.29 per cent of payroll).

£4.58m of leisure investment (announced earlier this year).

Jim Campbell, finance spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said: "We don't feel the budget is at all honest or transparent, or a budget for consultation, because it doesn't tell the public what cuts will have to be made."