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Wednesday July 27 | 2022
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DIVERSITY: Hundreds of people descended on Calverley Grounds on Sunday for The Tunbridge Wells Mela. Full story and pictures page 7.
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County Hall is planning hikes in Council Tax and cuts to services By Richard Williams KENT County Council (KCC) is launching a seven-week consultation to ask residents for their views on proposals to increase Council Tax and cut public services. In the absence of any additional funding from central government, KCC say it wants to increase next year’s bill to residents by up to three per cent as well as reduce spending on some council activities. The rise is the most County Hall can ramp up Council Tax bills without holding a public referendum and includes one per cent ring-fenced for adult social care. The council has an annual budget of £1.8billion. The move comes as the UK is suffering a cost-of-living crisis, inflation of nearly 10 per cent, and an average £1,000 rise expected to be added to gas and electric bills this winter due to energy price rises.
It also follows a previous rise in Council Tax of three per cent last April. That rise saw around £42 added to bills for Band D taxpayers. If approved by County Hall, the proposed rise will be included in bills when they land on doormats in April 2023.
‘It’s an incredibly difficult time for all of Kent’s residents and KCC faces exactly the same amount of pressure’ KCC is the main recipient of Council Tax in Tunbridge Wells, with around 75 per cent of money paid by residents sent to the authority. The rest is distributed between Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service as
well as the various parish councils. These other organisations may also choose to increase their own share of Council Tax before next April, further adding to people’s bills. Peter Oakford, Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services at KCC, who is a Tunbridge Wells County Councillor, said: “It’s an incredibly difficult time for all of Kent’s residents and KCC faces exactly the same amount of pressure. “We see inflation and the cost of living rising and the fuel price increasing, higher than they have ever been. All of this impacts on KCC’s budget just as much as it does our own personal expenditure. “KCC has faced huge challenges in recent years and has already had to make over £810million worth of savings since
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