COUNCIL tax is set to go up across north Kent after councils announced their budgets for the coming financial year.

Dartford Council has increased council tax by 1.9 per cent, which will see bills raise by £3.06 for Band D homes.

The council’s Tory administration rejected an amendment from Labour councillors to get funding to restore empty properties.

Dartford’s Labour deputy leader Councillor Matt Bryant said: “The move would have been funded out of a small reduction in the massive £290,000 communications budget, which pays for the council’s own magazine and would have doubled the amount of time officers spend trying to get vacant premises back in use.

“Empty properties are a blight on our town, as anyone walking down Lowfield Street can see.”

Dartford Council leader Councillor Jeremy Kite said: "This is the lowest rise in Kent and is the product of a lot of hard work.

"We created the post of empty property officer and it's been so successful they think by making him full time it will be twice as successful, and I'm telling you it would not."

Gravesham Council approved last month’s draft budget which means council tax for a Band D property will go up by 2.5 per cent or £4.06 a year.

Councillors were due an increase in allowances from last year’s budget, however members have decided to donate the £3,300 allocated to charity.

No money has been allocated for an increase in this year’s budget.

Gravesham Council leader Councillor Mike Snelling, who is Conservative, said: “Against a backdrop of an increase in government grant of 1.3 per cent, this is probably the lowest ever council tax rise in Gravesham.

“At a time when staff are not getting a rise and no jobs are going, we feel it would send the wrong message to take even a modest increase.”

Cllr Snelling also dismissed calls from Gravesham’s Labour group which suggested the council should use money held in a £3.6m reserve rather than increase council tax.

As reported last week, Sevenoaks District Council raised council tax by 2.9 per cent meaning the average charge for Band D properties will be increased by £5.13 a year to £181.89.