Bradford's council tax payers face a 9.1 per cent increase as the authority prepares to set the budget, ploughing millions of pounds more into education and social services.

There are sums set aside for sport, leisure and other facilities used by the public in what the Tories and Liberal Democrats describe as a "people's" budget.

The proposals were voted through by the joint votes of the two groups at yesterday's executive committee meeting.

The Council's share of the increase would be 7.6 per cent with precepts added by the West Yorkshire Police and Fire Service bringing it up to 9.1 per cent.

But leader of the Labour Group Councillor Ian Greenwood said: "The 7.6 per cent is in excess of what would be sensible for the people of the district."

He added his group would put its own budget proposals to tomorrow's Council meeting which would keep it down to about five per cent.

The increase would mean householders in the average band D category would pay £1,015 per year compared with £930.64 at present.

People living in the Ilkley and Keighley areas would pay slightly more because precepts agreed by their parish and town council will also be added on.

The executive committee will recommend to tomorrow's meeting that £8 million should go to education including more than £6 million additional funding for schools.

The rest would include funding for school improvements, social inclusion measures and home to school transport.

The £1.3 million initially set aside for the Capital of Culture bid would be shared out between services including museums and libraries, leisure services, sports and youth programmes as well as a litter awareness campaign.

There would be funding to improve gateways and corridors into Brad-ford and a plan to light up the city.

The hard-pressed social services would receive £2 million a year until 2005 and £1 million from 2005 to 2006.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: "We are delivering a good budget for the people of Bradford."