HARWICH residents are set to get an increase in their council tax demand.

Essex County Council, Tendring Council and the Essex police, fire and crime commissioner are all due to set their levies for the financial year from April.

Harwich Town Council’s demand will be added to that and at a meeting it was proposed to increase the town council precept by £1.50 for a Band D property.

Pam Morrison, chairwoman of the town council’s finance and general purposes committee, presented the proposed budget for 2020/21 to councillors on Tuesday.

The overall precept for a Band D household would rise by 2.8 pence per week, which represents an increase of 4.1 per cent in addition to the demands made by the other bodies.

The proposed budget would maintain all existing funding, including a £40,000 grant to help and support organisations and events such as the New Year’s Eve fireworks, the Festival of Arts, and the International Shanty Festival.

The increase in council tax will enable further major renovation work at the council’s Hill School site, which houses community groups and will also ensure funding is in place to hold the annual skate park festival and to provide Christmas lights.