COUNCILLORS are expected to rubber-stamp plans to hike council tax bills in Tendring by £5 a year.

Tendring Council’s part of the council tax bill is set to be increased to £162.64 for an average Band D property.

The sum is in addition to the levies set by Essex County Council, the police and fire authority.

The budget, which goes before a meeting of the full council at Clacton Town Hall on Tuesday, will see residents asked to pay more in the face of Government funding cuts to the authority.

The council has seen its annual budget slashed from almost £21million in 2012 to £13.9million for 2018/9 – with just £1.07million coming from the Government grant.

Opposition councillors have hit out at Government cuts for forcing council taxpayers to fork out more while services are slashed.

Council finance boss Carlo Guglielmi said residents receive “excellent value for money” despite Tendring having the third lowest council tax bill in Essex.

“I doubt that there is another local authority in Essex with a list of projects to be carried out that could match that of Tendring,” he said.

Mr Guglielmi said the budget also includes plans for the free residents’ parking scheme to be supported on an on-going basis – rather than being decided on each year.

But he also warned the council will still need to make cuts.