Residents are set to pay nearly £5 more in council tax for the third successive year.

Braintree Council has revealed plans to increase its precept for Band D properties by £4.95 a year.

The three per cent rise is just under the maximum limit of £5 allowed by central government without holding a referendum.

If approved, the average Band D household would pay £174.42 in 2018/19 for services provided by the council.

Leader of Braintree Council Graham Butland said: “We want to keep residents’ council tax bills down as much as possible.

“We run extremely efficiently and we work innovatively to increase income through investments but this is the biggest shake up of local government funding the country has ever seen and there are still difficult decisions to make.”

The council claims there is “no other option” and it must increase council tax because of the anticipated £2.5 million central government funding reduction in 2020.

Braintree Council has already made £12 million in savings and income generation since 2010 but plans are also being proposed to increase charges at council car parks across the district and waste collection calendars may no longer be provided to households.

Mr Butland said: “We have a £1.2 million budget gap to fill over the next three years and we may have no other option than to ask local taxpayers for a very small increase in council tax to pay for the services that improve health, homes, jobs and infrastructure."

The final budget and council tax proposals will be presented to full council in February 2018.

If the initial budget proposals are adopted, Braintree Council will have to find £724,000 in savings or income in 2019/20.