COUNCILLORS will once again have £2,000 to spend on projects in their wards after changes to the borough's budget were rubber stamped.

The new Conservative and Highwoods Independent administration of Colchester Council has approved plans to reverse the cut made to councillors' locality budgets.

The changes, made last year in response to the coronavirus pandemic, saw councillors' budgets halved from £2,000 to £1,000.

However, each of the borough's 51 councillors will now have the £2,000 to spend on projects in their area.

Leader of the council Paul Dundas said: "I am very pleased we have been able to do this and fits in very much with our philosophy of moving decision making away from the Town Hall and towards the councillors who know their own areas and what the priorities need to be.

"With three councillors per ward this means each will have £6,000 to invest and by definition will be spread equally over the whole borough and not concentrated on one particular area.”

Locality budget cash can be spent on a range of schemes including landscaping, community facilities and community groups.

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Sue Lissimore, councillor responsible for resources, said: “As part of our Covid recovery we want drive forward investment on a very local basis.

"This money will be spent in the community on people’s doorsteps usually using local companies and contractors and allow councillors to directly target issues in their own wards.

"Money is still tight with the overall budget and we are under no illusion this will make huge changes but it has been very successful in the past and I am delighted we have been able to restore it for this year.”