Sevenoaks council tax announced in budget meeting

Council tax will rise by a staggering 2.9 per cent, it emerged at this year's budget meeting.

The leap was blamed on the financial crisis and a lack of funding from central government.

Sevenoaks officers were forced to find a funding gap of more than £800,000 to keep the rise in council tax to a manageable level, but they admitted it could rise to 3.5 per cent in 2011.

This is compared to a national average council tax increase of 1.8 per cent.

Older residents will be hardest hit, with the pension budget up by just £85,000, falling way below the national inflation rate of 3.5 per cent. The rise in council tax will add to a drain on pension savings, according to Age Concern Sevenoaks.

Swanley and Sevenoaks Citizens advice bureau will also see their funding cut by £7,000 and other voluntary organisations by £10,000 overall.

Glossy district council magazine In Shape is set to continue, despite a £10,325 cost of production for every issue. It comes out three times a year.

Councillors also voted to keep civic expenses budget at £44,111, a cut of £24,000. This follows outrage highlighted in the Chronicle over the council Christmas Dinner and other functions.

The budget was also criticised by opposition members for failing to make bigger cuts in the district council call centre after setting aside £460,269.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats cllr Roger Walshe said: "We feel it is much more important to maintain and improve services to local residents than spend unnecessary amounts of tax payers' money on internal items."

Sevenoaks District Council chairman Peter Fleming blamed the problems on central government and admitted the district council could be in the red by March.

The authority received the lowest government grant per head in Kent with funding increased by 0.5 per cent, 3 per cent below inflation.

"We can't expect our residents to pick up the tab for this Governments appalling failings in proper funding," said cllr Fleming , speaking at a budget meeting on February 23.

"If we received a grant at the average level, we would receive £3.7m more next year, which would equate to a reduction in our part of the Council Tax bill of 59 per cent.

"This cannot continue and although we have pursued fair funding for SDC in the past we are redoubling our efforts with the support of one of the district MPs."