CHESHIRE'S schools and social services are to benefit from increased funding, it has been revealed.

Outlining the budget proposals for the coming year, the county council announced that its education and social services departments were to receive a multi-million pound boost.

During a meeting of the council's education committee, £1.56million was pledged to general educational needs with a further £1.134million granted for additional support for children with special needs.

This came just one day after the social services committee had promised to pump an extra £1.8million into the department.

Speaking after the meeting, Clr Lynn Hardwick said: "Our continuing blanket of care for vulnerable and needy people is paramount in our deliberations."

She added: "That is why we want to pump in £1.8million extra to help pay for our ever increasing demands on a service we value which is offered to all types of residents including children, disabled people, families and a growing older population."

However the proposals have met with some opposition with both Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors suggesting the Conservatives are actually cutting budgets, not increasing them.

Speaking at the education meeting last week, Clr Peter Nurse said: "What you have before you are proposals to take out £2million from schools which amounts to the equivalent of 80 teachers.

"I do believe that we ought to be asking you to reconsider this."

But council leader Clr Paul Findlow defended the proposals.

He said: "It is both alarmist and counter productive for anyone to suggest that the overall proposed education budget involves a £2million reduction."

The proposals will now go out for a consultation period before a decision is made on February 14.