Rochford residents face a rise in council tax of around 6.5 per cent.

Although the district council has agreed an increase of nine per cent, head of finance Dave Deeks said taking into account the proposed budgets from the county council and the policy and fire authorities this was the expected figure.

The council agreed the budget for next year with support from both the Liberal Democrats and Labour.

Mr Deeks said that more than half the increase was due to policies which had been imposed on the council by Government initiatives.

Published Thursday January 29, 2004

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