BASILDON residents have “paid a high enough price” throughout the Covid pandemic and it “would not be fair” to hit them with a tax hike.

Council leader Gavin Callaghan admitted that “it won’t be easy”, but the public “deserve better” than having their council tax increased and has recommended it be frozen for a second year running.

This is despite Basildon Council losing a total of £8 million in revenue since March last year.

The money has been spent on delivering services such as waste collection, delivering food and medicine parcels to those shielding, processing business grants and offering a befriending service to elderly residents.

Mr Callaghan said: “We were promised back in March by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, that he would repay all councils for this lost income. We acted in good faith.

“That is why it was a hammer blow, just before Christmas, to hear Rishi Sunak announce that the way he planned to make good on his promise to councils was to insist that councils increase council tax by the full amount.

“I do not believe that is fair. People have paid a high enough price for Covid without now having to face a council tax increase. The public deserve more than that.”

Mr Callaghan said the money will be made up in other ways and that the council has been reducing spending in areas deemed no longer fit for purpose, such as office space.

Kerry Smith, deputy council leader, said in November that councillors agreed to a cut to their allowances which saved £30,000.

Both leader and deputy leader said the council took extra measures throughout the year as they were sceptical of the government’s funding promise.

Basildon Council’s budget is set to go before members on February 25, and Mr Callaghan said it will allow the borough to “bounce back” from Covid and “learn from the mistakes of the past”.

He added: “There will be brighter days ahead for Basildon and our budget will help to pave the way to that future for every single person in the borough.”