BROCKENHURST Parish Councillors have agreed a £20,000 rise in their precept - equating to an increase of £10.48 a year on a Band D property - to help finance a new office.

The council has been working temporarily from a building belonging to the Village Trust at Highwood Road for the last seven months. But their latest full meeting of the parish council heard the situation could not continue indefinitely and that they were in talks with the trust about constructing a new extension to the hall.

Parish chairman Pete Wales said: "We have been a very frugal parish council in the past.

But it looks like we will have more work to do and need more space to do so."