TAXPAYERS in Tendring could be asked to fork out an extra £5 a year as part of their council tax bills.

Finance bosses at Tendring Council are looking to residents to pay more in the face of central Government cuts.

The district council’s portion of the bill could be increased to £162.64 in 2018/9 for an average Band D property.

This is in addition to the levies that will be set by Essex County Council and the police and fire authorities and also comes despite a £5 hike in the authority’s portion of the bill just this year.

Carlo Guglielmi, cabinet member for finance, said: “We have embarked on a new trajectory by looking at finances not just in the next year or two, but over the next ten years, which has been something absolutely innovative.

“The budget for 2018/9 is based on a £5 increase in council tax.

“The Government have allowed such increases within their capping criteria as they recognise the importance of locally-raised income in providing a self-financing future once the Revenue Support Grant has been completely removed, which is not far away in 2019/20.”

Earlier this year the council forecast that its budget for next year would have a £536,000 deficit, but that has been revised to a surplus of £42,000 after the council collected more money than expected this year.

A report revealed the authority’s free parking scheme for residents, which was launched in 2012, is also set to continue.

Speaking at a meeting of the council's cabinet on Friday, Mr Guglielmi said the "successful" scheme will be built into the budget rather than being subject to a decision on a yearly basis.

The scheme allows residents to park in most council-run car parks free of charge at certain times.

Tendring Council's budget will not finally be set until a full council meeting in February.

It could also include an extra £60,000 for improved summer cleaning of town centres and seafronts while £40,000 will be used to clean new beaches between Clacton and Holland-on-Sea.