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Council tax up to cushion cuts
COUNCIL taxes are to rise across the board. KCC has confirmed it will be in- creasing its tax on households by 1.99% post-April, to help cushion the effect of cutbacks on services. The county council has to save
£81m this year and is proposing to trim £13m off care services for the elderly and £3.6m off the highways budget. It also expects to save £2m from
the closure and re-organisation of children’s centres and £7m from putting up the costs of the Kent Freedom Pass for schoolchildren. Over three years, the county council has to save £270m and it hopes this year’s increase – which will put an additional £20 a year on bills for homes in Band D – will generate £10m. Kent’s Police and Crime Com- missioner Ann Barnes has an- nounced the police precept will increase by 1.99%, as will the fire service precept, which rises for the first time in four years. Many of the borough’s 43 parishes have also found them- selves faced with budgeting for a price hike, but all are endeavour- ing to stay within government
guidelines.Any increase above 2% would require a referendum – a time-consuming and costly process that is seen as being self-defeating. Maidstone Council has already carried out a public consultation on its plans to increase next year’s council tax by 1.99% – 36p a month. The borough has to save £5.5m
in the five years up to March 2019. It has plans to save £1,163,000 in 2014-15 and £600,000 in later years but it still has to find £3,762,000 over the five years up to March 2019. The council’s plans for 2014-15 include raising £104,000 from new income sources such as planning application fees, sales of green gar- den refuse bins and commercial rents. The borough council also plans
to make savings of £800,000 in the cost of contracts for services and £259,000 in further reductions to staffing costs. It was due to make its final decision on March 5. The meeting was postponed
from February 26 to give the coun- cil’s finance chief more time to ob- tain information from the other precepting authorities.
Samaritans’ new director
THE Samaritans of Maidstone andWeald has appointedMaggie Jones as the new director of its branch in Grecian Street, Maidstone. The voluntary role of director is appointed
for a three-year term and is responsible for managing the quality of the services pro- vided by the team along with ensuring that sufficient volunteers are recruited and trained. Maggie (pictured), who takes over from
Will Merrifield, has volunteered as a listening Samaritan at the Maidstone branch formore than five years and has been a deputy direc- tor for three years during that time Maggie said: “We are always looking for
more help and run frequent information sessions for potential volunteers. Details are on the branch web site at
www.samaritans.org/maidstone.” To contact the Samaritans, call 01622 674444, email Jo@samari-
tans.org or go to 48 Grecian Street, Maidstone, ME14 2TS.
Drugs charge Yewtreetogo
LEE Hartigan (33), of Durham Close, Shepway, was given a community service order by Mid Kent magistrates after he admitted producing cannabis and possessing it with intent to supply. He was ordered to carry out
250 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months and pay £85 costs.
ALL FOR
PLANNING consent has been granted to fell a protected yew tree at St Mary’s and All Saints’ Church, The Street, Boxley. The parish council said the tree
was cracking and causing dam- age to the listed church wall. “The tree branches are now in danger of touching an adjacent building,” it added. Maidstone Council ordered the tree to be re- placed.
1% +VAT Bearsted Office Bearsted Green, Bearsted ME14 4QZ
Tel: 01622 737800 Penenden Heath Office
Penenden Heath, Maidstone ME14 2HN
Tel: 01622 671200
www.ferrisandco.net
Maidstone East March 2014 17
Ferris & Co. Independent Estate Agents with property for sale and let in Maidstone - Kent & surrounding areas
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