Tendring District Council’s (TDC) share of council tax will go up by 3% from April – an increase of £5.47 for a Band D home, taking it’s annual share to just over £188.
The increase comes on top of a 3.5% rise announced by Essex County Council, 2% of which will be used to fund adult social care.
TDC says it has managed to set a what it calls a “sensible budget” by using reserves to fund a deficit. It’s total general fund budget for 2023/24 is £14.142million, with an additional £827,000 capital programme.
The council has agreed not to allocate £1.224million of New Homes Bonus to any budget, so that it remains available for the new administration following elections in May.
Carlo Guglielmi, TDC ‘s cabinet member for corporate finance and governance, told members at a full council meeting on February 14 that the council is “well-placed to handle the economic shocks which have come this year”.
He added: “However, while we have been able to cover a small deficit next year using reserves and by re-focusing some existing budgets, it is important to note that the challenging financial situation does not just go away, and the administration will face some difficult decisions looking to the next few years ahead.”
An additional £600,000 has been set aside to cover increased energy costs within the council budget.
The
cCouncil also approved the Housing Revenue Account budget, which included committing £3.25million to redevelop Honeycroft in Lawford as a new sheltered housing scheme, and £800,000 for redevelopment of Spendells, in Walton-on-the-Naze, to provide temporary accommodation for those in need in the district.
