Essex County Council kept to its low tax rise promise with an announcement of its lowest increase ever.

Lord Hanningfield, leader of the council, announced yesterday he will be putting forward a proposal to the full council on February 15 of a 2.9 per cent increase.

That is the equivalent of 50p a week increase on a band D property. Last year's increase of 4.7 per cent, about £40 a year for band D homeowners, was previously the lowest since the tax began in 1994.

The glad tidings followed a fundamental review of by Essex County Council services after the shock announcement in 2003 that council tax would increase by 16.7 per cent.

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Published Thursday, January 27, 2005

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