Council tax in Bath and North East Somerset will go up by 4.99% but the council say most of the more than £14m of cuts and savings won't have a "massive effect" on people.

Councillor Richard Samuel, the cabinet member for resources on Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: "I think we all know that the national economic situation is dire. Like everyone else, we are feeling the impacts of inflation."

But he insisted: "We are still going to be building council houses. We are going to continue the liveable neighbourhoods program."

He added: "The ability to do all that comes from because we have been able to keep a tight hold on the council finances over the last four years."

For a band D property, the council tax rise means paying an extra £78.60 a year.

Mr Samuel said: "In recognition of the impact on our most vulnerable residents we are changing the rules on Local Council Tax Support to enable more people to access the scheme."

In total, the council is making £14.38m of cuts and savings in order to balance its budget.

But Mr Samuel claimed: "Most of things that are put in that list to save £14m are not going to have a massive impact on the public."

The largest single saving included in the council's plans is saving £4.8m from social care contributions to a learning disabilities budget it shares with the NHS.

But Mr Samuel said "it's not unusual to change the boundaries" of the funding contributions. He said: "Clients will not notice any difference in the services at all."

The council also insisted there would be "no impact" on Bath's Remembrance service. These commemorations, along with other events, will no longer be funded by the council, but instead by Bath's charter trustees, the group responsible for some ceremonial functions in place of a city council.

This is expected to save the council £27,000, but they say that this brings the funding of Bath's Remembrance Sunday in line with how they are funded in other towns in the district.

At a late stage in determining the budget, the council decided to find an extra £281,000 to protect supported all bus services in Bath, and extend five in North East Somerset until June. But no buses in North East Somerset will be supported beyond this.

Other funding announced in the budget includes £1.1m to meet the demand for home to school transport, and £2.1m for children's services.

The budget will be agreed by the council's cabinet on February 9. It will go before full council for approval on February 21.