HAMPSHIRE County Council has been praised for its approach to hitting a £100million savings target over two years.

The Audit Commission found the council’s spending per head of population was among the lowest five per cent of all county councils, while the council tax is one of the lowest.

This was noted in the watchdog’s Annual Governance Report as particularly impressive when set against Hampshire having one of the highest number of adults receiving care services.

The report also notes that Hampshire has good levels of school provision and is in the highest 25 per cent for level of attainment by children, including those with special needs.

The Audit Commission found no areas requiring action or improvement by the county council.

Council leader Councillor Ken Thornber said: “It’s very good news to receive external validation again for the way we are tackling the cuts to public sector funding while maintaining the quality of services and at the lowest cost to the council tax payer.

“Our transformation programme is not just about achieving the £100m savings over two years. It is also about laying the ground for investment for the future.”