Council tax in North East Lincolnshire to rise by almost 5%

Council tax in North East Lincolnshire will increase by almost 5%.

A meeting on Thursday agreed to raise the rate by 2.98%, with an additional 2% rise ringfenced for adult social care.

The authority said there would be no cuts to frontline services and an extra £250,000 would be spent cleaning the streets.

In neighbouring North Lincolnshire, the budget-setting meeting was abandoned after a man fell ill.

Speaking at the meeting at Grimsby Town Hall, council leader Philip Jackson said a new environmental "hit squad" would focus on cleaning streets in residential and visitor areas.

"This investment will make a visible difference to some of our town centre and resort areas, and in announcing this we all recognise just how important it is to improve public places both for our residents and visitors," he said.

Other investment priorities include improving the borough's children's services department which is rated "inadequate" by Ofsted.

The budget report contained details of how the council will continue to take a "more commercial approach" with investments such as the redevelopment of Freshney Place, the council said.

A man was taken ill during the budget meeting at Church Square House in Scunthorpe

In Scunthorpe a man was taken to hospital during Thursday night's meeting at the council's Church Square House headquarters after becoming ill, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Another budget meeting is scheduled to be held on 26 February.