PLANS to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in Colchester by increasing council tax again have been approved by just one vote.

Colchester Council’s budget for the next 12 months was given the green light at a meeting on Wednesday night.

But the decision went down to the wire after the Tory opposition attempted to vote down the budget.

In the end mayor – and Conservative councillor - Peter Chillingworth’s vote secured victory for the Lib Dem/Labour/Independent administration.

The move means council tax will rise by more than £5 for a Band D property in addition to the levies set by Essex County Council and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

In total £2.4 million will be invested from the New Homes Bonus, which will cover the Northern Gateway sports hub development and Revolving Investment Fund.

An extra £150,000 on top of the £330,000 already allocated over two years will be given for the extra policing resource which includes Team Ten and the Town Centre Action Plan.

Highways improvements will be made with an allocation of an additional £100,000 and street cleaning will be boosted thanks to £100,000.

Savings of £1.5 million will be found, through efficiency savings and improving methods of working.

Finance portfolio holder David King described the budget as “ambitious and prudent”.

He said Colchester had bucked the trend of many councils which were having to make cuts to services to balance the books.

He said: “These investments and our services do not require us to raid our reserves or set aside balances.”

He added the budget would “prove helpful for any administration” should things change after the elections in May.

Conservative councillors attempted to vote down the budget rather than calling for amendments.

Tory group leader Darius Laws: “My confidence was rather knocked because we put in a series of amendments last year and they were rejected so we decided not to this time around.

“But it was comforting to see you did take up our idea of cleaning the High Street and putting money into highways, so that was good.”

But Mr Laws said he did not think the budget had gone far enough.

He also criticised giving £450,000 to the Local Plan and £150,000 for the Better Colchester campaign.

Mr Laws also demanded the council scrap its yearly elections.

He said: “We need to be brave and bold and move to all out elections.”