Council bosses in Castle Point are set to cut £309,000 from next year's budget as they bid to balance the books.

However council tax bills are set to rise anyway after provisional estimates show the council is likely to get just under £7.1million from the Government for 2001/2, a rise of 4.7 per cent compared to a national average of 4.9.

Final spending calculations are still being done but council tax bill rises are expected to go up in the next three years by at least the same amount as the Government's cash settlement each year.

Council finance director Michael Clayton told yesterday's finance committee that the Government settlement was the best he has seen in some years but the council's budget was still 28 per cent higher than that.

The extra spending must be covered wholly by tax payers.

He told committee members that spending plans were still being finalised but warned councillors already faced overspends from maintenance work at the Runnymede swimming pool in Thundersley and from the collection of garden waste.

Councillors will make representations to the Government on the standard spending assessment.

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