A multi-million-pound deficit could be closed without having to cut services if maximum permitted rises in council tax go ahead, the police, fire and crime commissioner for Essex has said.

An announcement from the Government means that commissioners such as Roger Hirst the PFCC for Essex – will be able to raise the precept for fire on a Band D by £13 without having to go for a referendum. The maximum permitted increase for fire and rescue will be three per cent.

If those are imposed the police precept for a Band d will rise to £246.46 and the fire and rescue precept for Band D will rise from £80.28 to £82.68.

Mr Hirst said he was confident that that level of rise would be sufficient to close the gap on budget deficits of £2.5m for fire and rescue and £8.3m for police without having to resort to cuts – especially given the level of support that has been received from a public survey he has carried out

That survey found that a majority favoured paying up to £15 more on a band D for police services while 80 per cent were prepared to pay £5 on a band D for fire and rescue service.

The commissioner, who is currently preparing a budget plan for the next financial year, told a scrutiny committee on November 7: "That doesn't mean to say we have to do but it doesn't discourage me from trying to close the budget gap completely without making cuts to service."