East Sussex residents will face their first council tax rise in four years after a crucial vote yesterday.

Members of East Sussex County Council agreed on the planned 1.95% increase at their full council meeting.

The approved budget will also result in an estimated 100 job losses.

The local authority say the rise, which amounts to an extra 43p a week for band D properties, will protect essential services and provide long-term control over finances.

Following a three-hour debate, councillors voted 26 to 18 on the rise with three abstentions.

The budget will see reductions for most departments with the council facing cuts of £110million before 2020.

But an extra £57million will be ploughed into highways including £10million for unclassified roads and £2.25million for fixing potholes.

Over the next four years a further £339million will be invested in long-term projects including school places, broadband and improvements to libraries.

Council leader Keith Glazier, said: “This is a budget which offers a pragmatic, sensible and long-term approach to the extremely difficult financial situation we have to deal with.

“We've had to balance the need to meet our obligations to help with the government's budget deficit reduction with the need to protect frontline services, and that hasn't been an easy balancing act.”

West Sussex County Council will meet on February 14 to discuss its budget.