No council tax increase in Brentwood

Brentwood Borough Council has approved its budget for the year which includes no increase in council tax and no cuts to services.

Government policy permits councils to increase council tax by 2 per cent or £5 a year and the full budget was approved last week.

Brentwood Borough Council leader, councillor Chris Hossack said: “We now know that there is light at the end of the tunnel with a roadmap out of lockdown thanks to the prime minister’s announcement on Monday.

"This means our priority is to support a return to normality for our businesses, retailers, leisure industry, economy and our residents’ well being and so we have produced a budget that is both recovery ready and forges a positive future for Brentwood.

"We have taken the view that we should keep the financial burden on residents to a minimum, especially at this time.

"A combination of shrewd investment, maximising our assets, reducing costs and driving through efficient working practices means that the council can deliver a 0pc council tax increase this year despite the pressures of the pandemic.

"It has been an extraordinary time and the council has been key to helping and supporting the community but it has also continued diligently with the many plans and goals to ensure our projects are delivered. This puts us in a good place to deliver a strong recovery at speed."