‘Careful stewardship' of Essex CC's finances is behind the authority's ability to freeze council tax for five consecutive years, according to its outturn report for 2014/15.

Essex's cabinet member for finance, Cllr John Spence, claimed the report, which was discussed at the council's cabinet meeting on Tuesday, demonstrated the authority was a ‘safe pair of hands, spending wisely on the things that mattered and doing so well'.