Households across Essex will be charged around £60 more for council tax from April after county councillors approved a hike yesterday.

The rise means Band D households will see the county council's share of council tax bills increase from £1,340.91 to £1,401.12 from April 2022.

But Essex County Council was accused of ignoring its own advice from last year when the former leader decided not to increase council tax arguing it would be "too hard on residents".

At the same full council meeting on 10 February which saw the rise, the county council set out several areas which would receive significant additional investment, including a £1.3billion capital programme across the next four years.

The council is also committing to spending £200million over the next four years to support climate action and net zero ambitions, an additional £10million in skills and economic growth and a further £2million for infrastructure and a new pothole fund.

There is a £1.5million fund for the heritage and culture sector, an additional £1million for levelling up across Essex, a continuation of the £750,000 localities fund to support district-based levelling up priorities and a continuation of the £500,000 investment in the work being done to protect Essex children from being targeted by gangs.

But Councillor Aidan McGurran (Lab, Pitsea) quoted the former leader David Finch who said last year: "It's not right to hit people with council tax increases when many are facing one of the worst times of hardship because of the pandemic."

He said with inflation potentially surpassing seven per cent, higher energy prices and NI tax rises, households are set to be about £2,000 a year worse off and called for the council to dip into its reserves – totalling £200 in restructured reserves and £226 in unrestricted reserves.

Councillor McGurran said: "The reality is that as Conservatives you won't hit people's pockets unnecessarily in an election year.

"Three and a bit years out you have no problems with it at all."

Leader of Essex County Council Councillor Kevin Bentley said by cutting the council tax rise this year would lead to financial problems for the future.

He said: "What is a fact is Essex still remains one of the lowest council tax counties in the country. Because of all those years we can be prudent, we only ask for money when we need it.

"It has nothing to do with elections. It has got to do with how the balance of the books are done and the priorities of the time."