Council bills set to increase by 5%

Opposition leader attacks government ‘disdain’

Council tax-payers face an aboveinflation 5% increase in bills this year under spending plans set out by Kent County Council this week.

The 4.99% increase means one of the biggest hikes in bills for several years.

The authority’s Conservative administration confirmed wideranging savings totalling £53m in its budget – but denied it would mean cuts to services.

Amid the gloomy financial situation, there was some good news as the council said controversial cuts to buses it subsidised were now off the agenda – thanks to the decision to take up the option of increasing the council tax by an additional 1% this year under the government’s decision to relax the current cap on household bills of 2%.

The 4.99% increase will mean a £59 hike for Band D homes – the average – taking the sum from £1,178.82 to £1,237.68.

For homes in Band C – of which there are the most in the county – the rate will rise to £1,100.16.

The figure is yet to include precepts for borough and parish councils, where relevant, as well as policing and Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

KCC leader Paul Carter said the government continued to short-change councils and it had little room to manoeuvre.

He said: “It is never easy to see council tax rise. However, our autumn consultation with the public has shown that the respondents will accept manageable council tax increases if these are used to protect frontline services.” The 1% addition in the tax would raise £6m, a sum that failed to compensate for the loss of government grants.

Mr Carter continued: “I have an instinctive belief in lower, not higher, taxes but we have an equal concern and that is to protect and deliver effective and efficient public services.”

However, there was criticism from Cllr Rob Bird, opposition leader of the Liberal Democrats. He said the council was paying for the government’s “disdain” for local councils and had failed to identify £8m of the savings needed.

He said: “Paul Carter states that he has pleaded with his Conservative colleagues in Westminster for more funding. However, it is clear that they weren’t listening or didn’t care.

“It is sad to see staff and the frontline services they provide being hit with further cuts, particularly in the wake of the Conservative councillors voting themselves an unprecedented 15% pay increase. There are unprecedented pressures on our budget and yet we are spending less money.”

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Cllr Paul Carter - ‘government is shortchanging councils’