Lower council tax, more parish councils and free collections for bulky rubbish items are priorities for the new Conservative leadership at Basildon Council.
At the first meeting of the council since the local elections, leader Malcolm Buckley announced his intentions for the next year.
These include:
Scrapping the £6 charge for special rubbish collections, in a bid to reduce fly tipping around the district
Negotiating with English Partnerships to get more money from land sales in the district.
The council estimates that Basildon lost £4million last year on right-to-buy sales alone
Encouraging neighbourhood committees to re-establish themselves as town or parish councils
Spending plans that always take into account the final cost to families.
At last night's meeting Mr Buckley said: "We are committed to providing quality services for the people of this district - at a price we can all afford."
Following the elections on May 1, the Tories have clear control of the council.
The party has 23 seats, Labour has 14 seats, the Liberal Democrats have three and the Basildon Independent Residents formerly Independent Labour have 2.
Published Friday, May 16, 2003
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