Services could be lost and council tax increased after Braintree Council revealed it needs to save £3.34 million in four years.

In an announcement on Monday, the council said it would have to make the savings in response to cuts from central government.

Parish and town councils will be hit the hardest as all payments to them could be phased out within the next three years.

This means Witham Town Council would lose around £60,000 and Halstead Town Council would lose just over £25,000.

Contributions to vital services, including the Citizens Advice Bureau and Braintree Museum, could also be cut along with other organisations, such as the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Stour Valley Project.

Homeowners who have a property empty for two years or more will have to pay a 50 per cent council tax premium and benefit claimants on the Local Council Tax Support Scheme of working age will have to pay an extra four per cent of their council tax liability.

Garden waste collections could also be scrapped between December and February.

Council leader Graham Butland, who last year received £18,378 in allowances plus £1,101 in expenses, said: “We have some tough decisions to make, but we are focused on maintaining our key frontline services. We’re in a better position than most thanks to our good financial planning over a number of years but we still have a significant challenge ahead.

“We, like all councils, will receive less central government funding so we have to do things differently by reducing our costs and finding innovative ways to generate income, but we aim to provide our taxpayers with value for money.

"There will be difficult decisions to make but I’m confident we can meet those challenges head on. We remain an ambitious Council for the district and will continue to invest in projects to help the district grow and prosper with economic growth and new homes.”

The proposals will be discussed in a private session during a cabinet meeting on Monday

** BRAINTREE Council is considering phasing out payments to Halstead Town Council and those in neighbouring villages.

Halstead Town Council currently receives £25,092 from the district council annually.

Sible Hedingham gets £13,693 and £11,225 goes to Earls Colne Parish Council, but all parish councils would be affected.

Chairman of Sible Hedingham, Ron Volkwyn, said: “We had heard rumours about this so it is not a surprise.

“It is, however, very much a blow to us.

“I don’t know how it is going to affect us, but we are very strong in Essex with parish councils and people rely on them.

“I don’t know how we are going to find the extra funding.

“We will just have to wait and see, but I am very worried, and I am sure residents will be too.”

** AN advice service for residents across the Braintree district has said it will not be reducing its services despite the planned cuts.

This year the Citizens Advice Bureau, which covers Braintree, Witham and Halstead, received £171,830 in a grant from Braintree Council.

Under the money saving proposals it would see their funds slashed along with a number of other services.

Jennifer Hyde, chief executive of Braintree, Witham and Halstead Citizens Advice Bureau said they are working closely with the council and are aware of the cuts that could be imposed on them.

She said: “We have an extremely positive relationship with the council and we are working with them to look at how we can manage our services with reduced funding.

“We have been very fortunate. However, we are expecting cuts from other directions as well and part of my role is to make sure we are looking at other ways to get funding, like the Big Lottery Fund.

“We will not be reducing our services.”

Braintree Museum currently receives £223,880 and it is not yet known how much this contribution could be reduced by.

Chair of trustees for the museum John McKee said: “We currently receive ten per cent of our funding from the council, which is around £20,000.

“We are having to reduce our budget by that amount. One way we are doing this is to hire apprentices as full time staff leave; the work will be good for them.”

The Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Stour Valley Project will also be badly impacted by the decrease in its funding.

Project manager Simon Amstutz said: “The project’s core funding comes from eight different organisations and we understand that Braintree Council is looking at its contributions but until we have a full picture from all of our partners we will look at what is offered to see what happens.

“Defra funds 75 per cent and local authorities, of which there are eight and Braintree Council is one of these, 25 per cent.

“It’s a complicated picture and we need to understand from all of our financial partners what the situation is.”

He added that the project has been diversifying in how it gets money, including grants, donations, sales and sponsors and this is something they will continue.

 

** THE proposed plans are: - Council tax would increase by 1.97 per cent, which works out as 6p a week for a band D property.

This will affect 10,909 households in Witham which currently pay a charge and 18,530 households in Braintree.

- Claimants on the Local Council Tax Support Scheme that are of working age will have to pay a minimum of 24 per cent of the council tax liability, up from 20 per cent.

- A 50 per cent premium would be introduced on homes that have been empty for two years or more, which would apply to 271 properties across the district. This could raise £180,000.

- Garden waste collections, which are offered free on a fortnightly non-chargeable basis to residents that need it, would be suspended between December and February when garden waste is minimal, despite 1023.70 tonnes of waste being collecting for this period in 2014-2015.

- Reducing contributions to: Citizens Advice Bureau, Braintree Voluntary Support Agency, Braintree Museum and the Dedham Vale Are of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Stour Valley.

The main grant to the CAB for 2015/2016 is £171, 830, the grant to BDVSA is £22,720, Braintree Museum receives £223,880 and the grant to DVAONB and Stour Valley is £16,000.

This amounts to savings of £434,430.

- Phasing out payments made to all parish and town councils within three years. There are 64 parish councils and two town councils; Witham and Halstead.

Witham is set to lose around £58,366, this was the most recent payment from the Localism Fund in 2015/2016. Halstead will lose £25,092, This amounts to savings of £291,010 in total.