TOWN Hall bosses are set to push ahead with plans to ask council taxpayers in Tendring to fork out an extra £5 a year.

Tendring Council’s portion of the bill could be increased from £162.64 to £167.64 a year for an average Band D property in 2019/20.

The figure will be in addition to the levies that will be set by Essex County Council and police and fire commissioner.

The authority said it is in the third year of a ten-year financial plan set up to deal with the Government cuts to the council revenue support grant.

Council leader Neil Stock added that the authority is “nervously” waiting for the outcome of next year’s fair funding review by the Government over how to reallocate business rates.

It is feared the council could lose money to the Treasury.

Mr Stock said since a cabinet meeting in November, the council has moved from a forecast deficit in next year’s budget of £511,000 to a small surplus of £2,000.

“Although subject to the Government’s fair funding review, we do remain in a good position for 2019/20 and beyond,” he said.

“The massive cuts to our funding from Government have not been helpful or welcome.”

Next year’s budget already includes £500,000 for new homes in Jaywick, £1.75million on garden communities and the Local Plan and £2.3million on business investment.

Mr Stock added that other items will be included in the final budget in February, including funding for the Tendring Mental Health Hub and Clacton Airshow’s night flights.

Ivan Henderson, leader of the council’s Labour group, hit out at the Government for cutting the revenue support grant.

He said: “We had year after year of council tax freezes, then caps of 1.9 per cent and at the same time Government withdrew money from our grant.

“The money has dipped and we are now playing catch up, asking the public to fill that black hole that has been created by the Government.”

Mr Henderson added: “Lots of councils are now staring over the edge of a cliff because they are in such a state.”