Basildon Borough Council scraps tax freeze for anti-drug plan

Basildon Borough Council said they could have cut council tax but wanted to fund community wardens

A council has abandoned a promise to cut its part of council tax in favour of anti-drug dealing initiatives.

Basildon Borough Council, in Essex, said council tax will be frozen instead, but did reduce the rise in council house rents.

Stuart Sullivan, from the ruling Conservatives, said the authority had "listened to the concerns of residents" over anti-social behaviour.

But opposition members said the council was going back on election pledges.

The freeze means the rate of council tax in Basildon will remain at £278.91 for Band D properties this year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Council house rent will rise by 3.1%, reduced from the previously proposed 4.1% in response to the ongoing cost of living crisis, the council said.

The authority said £400,000 from its proposed budget will be used for community safety wardens to "disrupt drug dealing activity and antisocial behaviour" in the borough.

Mr Sullivan said the council tax cut could have been achieved but residents has raised concerns over "the blight of drug dealing and antisocial behaviour in their communities".

Labour group leader councillor Jack Ferguson told the council's budget meeting it was "a budget of broken promises and reused announcements".

He said the council needed "to look at the importance of early intervention" in order to cut crime.

Residents in Basildon will see rises in council tax from Essex County Council and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex.

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