'Difficult decisions' ahead, warns council

Kent County Council has warned they'll need to make difficult decisions to balance the budget

Kent County Council faces “difficult decisions” about the provision of services, says leader Roger Gough.

It needs to find savings of £81m next year, and £144m over the next two years, if it is to balance its budget.

BBC data analysis shows KCC has a budget deficit of just over £90 per resident.

A council spokesperson said: "KCC continues to face significant financial pressures, with the cost of, and demand for, key council services continuing to increase at a much higher rate than the additional funding available from government and local taxes."

Deputy leader Peter Oakford, who is also cabinet member for finance, has said he believed most local authorities in Kent would disappear in the next four years due to budget pressures.

He told BBC Radio Kent that if the way local government is funded continued in its current form councils could be replaced by a single mayor and a "handful" of larger councils.

In data analysed by the BBC, KCC have a budget deficit of just over £90 per resident

The well-being of children and young people is also at risk from cuts to local services, the children’s commissioner has warned, following a BBC investigation into the state of town hall finances.

Analysis shows local authorities have approved more than £3bn in savings proposals for this financial year alone – but will still face a collective funding shortfall of more than £5.7bn by 2026-27.

'Difficult decisions'

The KCC spokesperson said: "We have always been honest and transparent that in order to balance the books and secure Kent’s future, we are having to use a range of measures to find savings.

"These are very difficult decisions and it will affect the services that we provide to our residents."

Earlier this year, Medway Council was forced to seek help from the government, borrowing an extra £14.5m to help balance the books.

This was after it asked the government if it could raise council tax beyond the 4.99% limit.