FURTHER funding for the county's schools may become available.

A full meeting of Flintshire Council confirmed the authority's budget for 2018/19 after it was agreed at another meeting the week before.

Last week a campaign from headteachers, school staff and parents saw the council re-think of a proposed 'cash flat' education budget, which saw a public backlash against what people felt amounted to a three per cent to five per cent cut with inflation.

An extra £1.1 million was found at the eleventh hour after councillors and officers crunched the numbers and met with headteachers the night before the meeting to find a late compromise.

Members agreed at the meeting to dip into reserves and increase council tax an extra 1.7 per cent than had originally planned.

As members unanimously agreed the 2018/19 budget, council chief executive Colin Everett revealed more funding for schools could be available from the Welsh Government.

He said: "Last week we were hopeful of announcement from the Welsh Government of a one-off payment to be allocated against existing sped and top up reserves.

"We've had one confirmed additional set of funding of £428,000 for social care, reducing our predicted overspend.

"We have been pressuring Welsh Government for anything else we might get in the next year. We are party to information embargoed by the Welsh Government, but we do expect Welsh Government to put out additional money for schools.

"But we have to wait for that announcement from the Welsh Government."

Caergwrle Cllr David Healey added that the battle for future funding was still not over.

He said: "The bottom line is the campaign really continues with a two-pronged strategy.

"One is for the Welsh Government to give us a fairer deal in Flintshire, and the other is against the UK government's over-arching policy of austerity."