It is ‘too early to say’ whether council tax will be increased to aid coronavirus recovery, the council leader has said as he revealed plans to restart the economy.

Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) is accelerating plans to aid the reopening of businesses as the district emerges from the Covid-19 lockdown.

“As people make tentative steps towards a new normality, the move signals a change in the council’s response from emergency measures to long-term adjustment”, said Cllr Chris Whitbread, leader of the council.

“Long-term, everyone’s wellbeing and livelihood depends on getting business back on its feet. People need jobs to put food on the table and a roof over their heads, but it has to be done with the utmost care and attention to everyone’s safety.”

EFDC – which had paid out over £27 million in rate relief to businesses by mid-April – will not wait for further government funding as it moves to secure the economy, officials have said.

The council leader added it was “too early to say” whether council tax would be increased to aid the district’s recovery.

He said: “People have been asking me, can Epping Forest District Council afford this? What if we can’t get grants? Will we put council tax up?

“Epping Forest District Council has been one of the most prudently run local authorities. We have the lowest council tax in Essex. We’ve only increased it once in the last 10 years, and we have always made provision for a ‘rainy day’.

“Coronavirus has so far cost us more than £6 million but we remain financially strong because of the things we did before.”

Council officers are working on proposals for signs and street furniture to help people stay safe.

Plans include removing railings to create extra space, planters and seating being used to create “safe division” between pedestrians and cars, and reducing the number of cars in the district’s high streets.

To offset this EFDC is looking into providing parking space for residents and shoppers in the council’s staff carparks – currently under capacity as most staff are currently working from.

The council has also commissioned printers to produce “hundreds” of signs, posters and floor mats to aid social distancing.

Usually, these projects take a long time but speed is of the essence. We need to re-boot our high streets now and people will start to see these changes quickly. Not everything will work perfectly straight away but we will learn as we go – adapting and changing according to experience.

“Usually, these projects take a long time but speed is of the essence”, Cllr Whitbread said.

“We need to re-boot our high streets now and people will start to see these changes quickly. Not everything will work perfectly straight away but we will learn as we go – adapting and changing according to experience.”

EFDC has secured £60,000 funding from Essex County Council to make changes to Epping High Street.

Council officials say a similar £25,000 bid has also been prepared for Waltham Abbey and bids for Loughton are in the pipeline.

Cllr Whitbread added: “Now is the time for all of us to pull together as never before. In the past few months we have seen the incredible job of the nurses, doctors and support staff in our health and care services. They have shown us what’s possible. It’s now up to the rest of us to follow their example and put our district, economy and our country back on its feet.”

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