THURROCK Council's PR team swept into action moments after Conservative members voted through a 9.9 per cent increase in the borough's local council tax precept.

The decision - part of a deal struck between the council and fellow Conservatives on government - was reached after a long and, at times, heated debate in the council chamber on Wednesday evening.

By forcing the rise through, it now seems likely the administration that racked up hundreds of millions of pounds worth of debt through its botched policies, will be able to effectively borrow more money from the government to cover its losses.

In the short term it may paper over some of the gaping crack in the council finances but - despite assurances to the contrary from some of the ruling Conservative group it is inevitable that huge cuts will be taken to services over the next few years and many jobs will be axed.

What seems likely, until at least the elections in 2024, is that the Conservatives will now retain control of the council for another year.

Had today's rise not been confirmed, the government had threatened to step in and take control - which would probably have meant 'standing down' all the elected councillors.

Currently, with 30 incumbent councillors, the Tories hold a majority of 11 seats.

Just eight Conservative councillors are up for re-election in May so even if they lost all those polls, Conservative leader Cllr Mark Coxshall will still command a majority for the next municipal year.

Several Tories failed to show for this evening's meeting - Nub News understands some were unhappy with the decision to opt for a 9.9 increase - but it appears the courage of conviction of some of them did not extend to standing up to be counted.

The meeting was reported in full, live as it happened, on Thurrock Nub News.

Shortly after the meeting ended, the council issued an official resume of the meeting, stating: "Thurrock councillors approved a council tax increase of 7.99%, plus a 2% adult social care precept."

It made no mention of the concerted opposition to the rise, nor the numbers in the vote. The Tories won the vote 24-15 and that prompted an angry reaction from the public gallery, including one resident who expressed his views vociferously (see video).

The full council statement says:

At Full Council on Wednesday 1 March, Thurrock councillors approved a council tax increase of 7.99%, plus a 2% adult social care precept. The changes will take affect from 1 April 2023.

Cllr Mark Coxshall, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: "The decision taken tonight reflects the seriousness of our position. This increase is sadly necessary if we are to secure the future of this council. It is a step we need to take to recover financially and to ensure we can continue providing much needed services for our most vulnerable residents.

"For more than a decade we have avoided making the tough decisions required on council tax and instead just made minimal or even no adjustments. The consequence of this is we have lost over £55m in potential revenue – money that would have been invested into services. The simple fact is this low council tax base has significantly contributed to the financial position we are in and is not sustainable as the cost of delivering services is now outstripping the money we receive to do so.

"We will still have the lowest council tax rate in Essex and one of the lowest of all unitary authorities in the country.

"It was vital that we took the tough decision to do this and begin to correct the course we have been on. As someone who lives in Thurrock and has raised a family here, I do understand the impact this will have on residents, but to take no action now would have far reaching consequences and would put the future of this council in jeopardy.

"We know this increase will be especially difficult for some households, so we are creating a new Hardship Fund to ensure help is available for those who might struggle. We want to make sure there are safeguards in place to provide a vital buffer to prevent any household from being pushed into financial hardship as a result of the proposed increase."

This decision means a Band D property will pay £1,585.17 a year, an increase of £143.91 a year, or £2.77 a week.

The council also issued two table showing figures about levels of council tax across the region.

They are:

Band D Council Tax throughout Essex

Thurrock council Tax increasesd against referendum maximum and cumulative income lost.