Finance chiefs in Basildon are still playing the numbers game as they look at the rise in council tax from April.

They have admitted the district will not be able to go as low as Essex County Council's planned 4.7 per cent rise but still have not arrived at a final figure.

The county said yesterday 100 jobs would have to go to keep its increase under five per cent.

Phil Turner, Basildon portfolio holder for resources, said: "I think we are going to be hard pressed to get down that low."

Basildon is still waiting to find out what level of grant it will get from the Department of Work and Pensions.

But Mr Turner said: "We are not envisaging or contemplating making any redundancies."

Published Wednesday January 21, 2004

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