The government has announced the final Local Government Finance Settlement, giving Kent County Council an extra £5.7 million to its budget.

It has made the 2016/17 budget “slightly more bearable” in the face of making savings of £126 million.

The announcement was made yesterday by Secretary of State Greg Clark.

The draft budget proposals will go before the council on Thursday (February 11).

KCC Leader Paul Carter

Kent County Council Leader Paul Carter said: “This made a very difficult settlement slightly more bearable, but still exceedingly challenging.

“KCC has delivered significant savings over the last few years but we still need to make tough decisions to continue delivering balanced budgets over the coming years.”

The council’s most significant pressures include an extra £31 million to cover additional demand and increased costs for adult social care.

A further £12 million is needed to meet the additional demand for services such as waste disposal and special education needs transport.

KCC also has additional costs of £13 million as a result of changes in government legislation, such as increases in employer’s National Insurance contributions and the impact of the National Living Wage.

The publication of the draft budget follows a six week public consultation where residents were asked for their views on how KCC should prioritise spending and whether they would support a rise in council tax to contribute towards additional spending demands and provide some protection for local services.

To find out more and read the draft budget, visit www.kent.gov.uk/budget