Cumbria County Council is proposing to increase its share of council tax by almost four per cent each year until 2020.

The authority has also drawn up a plan to save £16m in 2017/18, but stresses it won't hit frontline services.

However its cabinet has warned that further savings of at least £32m will be needed for the two following years.

The authority is launching a public consultation about the planned council tax rise, of 3.99 per cent, which will run until January.

The rise is made up of a general 1.99 per cent increase, plus a further two per cent precept specifically to fund adult social care - as recommended by the Government.

This would mean an increase of £49.15 next year for a Band D property, rising from £1,231.87 to £1,281.02 in 2017/18.

This does not take into account precepts to be added by district and parish councils or the police force, which together make up the total tax costs.

County council leader Stewart Young said that the authority has had to make huge savings in recent years, with more to come - taking the predicted total to £246m by 2020 - and said ultimately it was down to cuts from central Government.

"I recognise that for the public, in the current economic climate, any increase in council tax is difficult. I hope they realise that if we didn't do this we'd have to find even more savings," he added.