Essex councillors approve 3.5% tax increase and extra roads money

Essex County Council says an extra £9m for roads maintenance will include money for its "member-led pothole scheme"

Essex County Council has approved a 3.5% tax increase and extra spending plans for fixing potholes.

The 2023-24 budget proposed by the Conservatives was rubber stamped at a full council meeting.

The plans also included an extra £9m for highways that was announced by the Tories on the morning of the meeting.

Opposition councillors criticised the administration for not proposing a bigger tax hike.

"We have had to make some difficult decisions in this year's council budget and this reflects the challenges we're all facing," said Lee Scott, cabinet member for highways maintenance and sustainable transport.

The budget included pledges to build a new link road between eastern Colchester (pictured) with the Tendring district

The government told local authorities they could increase their cut of council tax bills by 4.99% but the Conservatives in Essex said they wanted to keep the rise below inflation.

The average Band D homeowner will pay £1,450 per year from April, up from £1,401.

Lib Dem group leader David King told the meeting on Thursday that the restrained approach was "not viable for the longer term".

"You have embedded a weakness into the future budget that will leave a challenge for those who follow," said Mr King.

Construction of the Beaulieu Park railway station is expected to begin by the end of 2023

Opposition councillors said the initial £36.7m set aside for road maintenance was inadequate, but on the morning of the meeting, the Tories announced the extra £9m.

The council said some of the money would be ringfenced for the "member-led pothole scheme" - where individual councillors can ask for local hotspots to be fixed.

They said the money meant they would U-turn on proposals to reduce part-night street lighting.

Chris Whitbread, cabinet member for finance, resources and corporate affairs, told BBC Essex the council received an unexpected business rates return and had not pulled any "rabbits from hats".

Labour group leader Ivan Henderson said the money for roads was still not enough and added: "We're looking at a very serious situation over the next few years."

In its budget last year, the council set aside £114m net expenditure for highways.

Chris Whitbread said the council could afford an extra £9m for roads maintenance because of a return on business rates

The budget, which details £1.2bn in total spending, includes a chunk of funding for the Beaulieu Park railway station in Chelmsford and the new Colchester to Tendring link road.

It also promises three new primary schools and continued funding for school holiday camps with free meals.

Essex serves a population of 1.51 million people - excluding Southend and Thurrock - making it one of the largest UK local authorities per capita.