Kent County Council plans 5% tax rise and service cuts

Kent County Council will set its budget for the upcoming financial year in February

Kent County Council (KCC) is planning to raise council tax by 5% and cut services.

Its draft budget began its passage through the authority's committees with environment, transport and cabinet meetings on 3 January.

KCC proposes charging for some special educational needs school transport, a review of household waste sites and cuts to the community warden scheme.

The budget is due to be set on 19 February.

A 5% increase is the maximum an authority can raise council tax without a local referendum, with 2% of that money being ringfenced for adult social care.

The planned increase would raise the amount a Band D property pays by nearly £50 a year, from £1,534 to £1,580.

In December local councils across England found out how much they would be getting from central government for the financial year 2024-25.

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Kent's budget report outlines it will receive £5.4m less than officers had expected, raising its funding gap for the next financial year to £54.2m.

KCC said it expected to be able to set a balanced budget in February, avoiding the risk of declaring a Section 114 notice as several authorities around the country have done, effectively declaring bankruptcy.

Kent County Council's draft budget includes millions in savings and an increase in council tax

The budget includes several proposals to save money:

• Introducing charging for post-16 year olds' special educational needs school transport, and reducing the offer of transport for those over 19

• Cutting £1m from the community warden scheme's budget, which the report said was "likely to result in an overall reduction in wardens"

• Bringing residential care for children in-house, with the council developing its own units so reducing reliance on the private sector

• Carrying out another review of the number of household waste and recycling centres across Kent

In 2023 a proposal to close several household waste sites was defeated by a rebellion of backbench Conservative councillors.

In November the cabinet agreed to introduce a government-led scheme to bring essential services under one umbrella called Family Hubs, saving about £900,000.

This would see the end of KCC subsidies for youth clubs and activities commissioned by the council but run by outside organisations, but will, the authority claimed, bring bring £11m of "transformational funding" over three years.

In his new year message, council leader Roger Gough warned 2024 would be "extremely tough", but said KCC had made "sound decisions" so far.

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