Southend's Lib Dem leader has called for a bigger rise in council tax next year to remove controversial waste tip charges and boost highway improvements.

The town's Tory-led council has put forward a 4.9 per cent increase in the levy for one of the most "exciting, positive and forward thinking" budgets the borough has seen.

Even Labour leaders refused to vote against the budget because they believed there were many acceptable elements in the spending plans.

However, Graham Longley (Lib Dem, Blenheim Park) urged an added rise of one or two per cent to end charges for non-residents to use the town's rubbish dumps.

The move would also see pay on exit parking at multi-storey car parks and more cash for highways maintenance which need more than £30million spent on them, he said.

Mr Longley said: "Another one or two per cent council tax levy from our figures would be negligible when one considers the significant rises elsewhere in the county, indeed in the country."

Labour councillors abstained from voting on the budget and insisted that a great deal of what was being achieved was only possible because of the amount of money which had been made available to the council by the Labour Government.

Proposing the budget Tory leader Charles Latham said: "I believe this budget is the most exciting, positive and forward thinking which we have seen for many a year and I am pleased, and, indeed, honoured to commend it to council."

Published Monday, March 4, 2002