The average Malvern householder could be looking at a Council Tax bill of almost £1,150 next month.

Worcestershire County Council this week agreed a rise of 12.97 per cent in its levy, the largest single element of the overall bill

West Mercia Police Authority has agreed a rise of 12.9 per cent while Malvern Hills District Council is proposing an increase of four per cent.

If this is approved at the council meeting on Tues-day, March 4, an average Band D homeowner will be paying £1,149.38 in 2003/4.

Of that, £822 will go to the county, £119.80 to the police, £104.79 to the district, £23.97 to Malvern Hills Conservators and £78.82 to the town council.

In 2002/3, Band D cost £1,037.88, made up of £727.94 county, £104.50 police, £100.76 district, £23.39 Conservators and £81.29 town council.

People in parishes outside Malvern will pay less as parish council levies are typically lower than Malvern Town Council's.

Coun Paul Cumming, of MHDC's executive board, said the council had largely achieved the budget targets it set itself in 2000.

These were to balance the budget and eliminate a £1 million deficit, increase reserves to no less than £1m and to reinvest additional savings in services.

The council also pledged to keep its tax increases in line with inflation.

"We wanted to increase Council Tax this year by two and a half per cent, which would have been right, but then the Government increased National Insurance, which was one stealth tax too many," said Coun Cumming.

He said the cost of this increase in staff costs pushed the Council Tax rise up to four per cent or an extra £4.03 on a Band D house.

"We really have to make the effort to keep the rises in Council Tax down, be-cause fewer and fewer people are able to afford them," he said, "It hits the pensioners and people on fixed incomes."

West Mercia Police Authority set its budget on Tuesday at £154.5 million.

Chairman Joyce Thomas said the Government allocation of £104.4 million was not enough to maintain the existing service, making an increase inevitable.

Leading members of the county council, which set its budget yesterday (Thur-sday), blamed the Govern-ment for introducing a new funding formula which they said penalised Worcestershire.