TAX PAYERS will fork out close to £80 extra a year each following a string of local rises.

At an Epping Forest District Council meeting on February 22, councillors confirmed plans to bump up the 2018/19 tax rate by £3.69 for Band D tax payers.

That comes after average increases of £58.05 from Essex County Council, £11.97 from Essex Police, £1.35 from Essex Fire and Rescue Service and a variety of smaller rises at a parish and town level.

For a Band D tax payer that equates to £75-£80 more a year.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Epping Forest District Councillors opted for the increase to pay for three extra police officers employed to work closely with the Community Safety Team.

Finance portfolio holder, Councillor Gagan Mohindra said: “This budget is a significant departure from our policy in recent years as it proposes the first increase in Council Tax since 2010/11. This change is necessary to provide additional funds to combat the scourge of anti-social behaviour.

"Earlier we discussed the problems being faced by our residents on a daily basis and it is vital that we act to address these. We hope that over the three year trial period we are providing funding for, the police will be in a better place than they are now and that it will be possible to withdraw our support.

“This is the first time for eight years that we are increasing the Council Tax but it is for a specific reason and for a limited time period, to provide the public with additional services they have said they want.”

At a county level, a 4.99 per cent increase will see rises of up to £116.37 a year for Band H home owners. 

A far greater real terms increase than on town and parish level, where tax changes vary from 71p less a year, in Theydon Garnon, to £5.81 more a year in Ongar Town.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Town and parish council tax rates for 2017/18.