Charged with providing vital public services and with a multi-million budget to do so a question often asked is what happens to taxpayers' cash paid into the Leicestershire County Council kitty.

Those who noticed that council tax had increased by around £5 a month for the average county home when demand notices dropped through letterboxes last month might have wondered what the extra fiver a month goes towards.

The BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service and the Local Government Information Unit has worked to break down £100 of council cash – raised through council tax, Government grants, business rates, borrowing, and other grants – and show how much is spent on what.

Education comes out as the authority's biggest expense, followed by adult social care and children's social care.

The full breakdown:

• Education: £39.64
• Adult social care: £28.55
• Children's social care: £13.52
• Highways and transport: £5.61
• Environmental services: £4.96
• Public health: £4.47
• Cultural services: £1.70
• Council running costs: £1.21
• Planning and development: £0.25*
• Housing services: £0.08*

• District and borough councils have overall responsibility for planning and housing in Leicestershire

Leicestershire County Council's four-year budget plan was agreed by the county council on 17 February 2021.

The council's budget also included £56m of cuts made up of, it said: "£30m of detailed savings – reducing children and family costs by re-shaping how services are delivered, reducing adult social care costs by simplifying processes and speeding up support, bringing together early help and prevention services – and delivering some in-house and reducing disposal costs by recycling and re-using more waste and a 'high needs development plan' which will reduce special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) costs by £26m."

A £450m four-year capital pot was also approved as part of the budget. Included was £70m to improve and maintain existing roads and bridges, £120m for improving transport infrastructure, £72m for extra school places, including specialist provision for SEND students.