OXFORD City Council has pledged to fork out extra money on education and youth services in a budget which sets out £1m of new spending.

The package will put extra cash into areas which are Oxfordshire County Council’s responsibility, but which Town Hall bosses believe need extra funding.

Council deputy leader Ed Turner denied the new money amounted to a pre-election “spree” but said councillors wanted to invest money to make Oxford a fairer city.

But there are also proposals to raise the cost of using council leisure services by four-and-a-half per cent on January 1, 2012, and double the cost of coach parking.

The council will freeze its share of council tax next year, before introducing a four per cent rise in 2013/14 and a three per cent rise the following year.

Town Hall staff will be paid at least £8 per hour, over the £6.05 minimum wage, and five apprenticeships created at a cost of £50,000.

Town Hall bosses are to put an extra £350,000 a year into support for primary and secondary schools to improve educational attainment. Headteachers will be consulted on drawing up a programme to boost results, which could include help for under-achieving children, extra classroom support or training for staff.

And it will put £240,000 a year into youth activities in areas where county council funding has been cut. A three-year post will also be created to help schools use council sports facilities.

Mr Turner said: “It will mean a substantial number of new jobs in the youth work sector, possibly for people who lost their jobs recently. In areas where youth work has closed, hopefully it will reopen.”

But Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen Brown said the council had more cash than many realised.

He said: “The Labour Administration are being disingenuous over the real benefit some of the Government initiatives are bringing to the city.

“For example, the council tax freeze of over £600,000 and the new homes bonus of almost £500,000 is new money from Government.

“Also, the changes to the council housing revenue system means the council tenants of Oxford will benefit from at least £2m annually for improvements and repairs.”

Extra cash is also to be put into promoting free swimming for young people, funding Low Carbon Oxford, and initiatives to supported isolated pensioners.

The council will also spend £300,000 over four years creating new cycle lanes in the city.

The budget includes an extra £420,000 over three years to improve the city’s public toilets, and a major refurbishment of park pavilions across the city.

An annual cricket festival is to be launched in Cowley Marsh park to bring together players from different ethnic communities.

Van Coulter, executive board member for leisure services, admitted plans to increase leisure charges would hit the ‘squeezed middle’, but said they would protect those worst off because concessionary rates will not increase.

Charges for coach parking in Oxpens Road could double to £20 a day if proposals being debated on December 7 are passed.

Jean-Pierre Morilleau, of Oxford Castle, said: “Raising charges could deter operators and result in a reduction in visitors, and tourism income, to the city as a whole.

“While we understand the city council is under pressure to raise funds, we strongly urge them to consider revenue-generating alternatives to these increases.”