Members of a town council have fallen out over a 16% hike in its council tax precept - with some saying it should be higher.

The increase is the first significant climb for Deal in nine years and comes as households face soaring bills for food, heating and transport, too.

It will equate to an extra 81p per month or £9.67 a year being paid for a band D property.

But Green Party councillors have expressed outrage as they wanted an 18% rise to address climate change.

They protested by walking out of the January 25 budget meeting.

The 2% difference would have equated to a further 3p a week for the average household.

Over the year, this would have amounted to £10,000 to be invested in energy saving and pollution cutting measures.

'The Labour led council has worked hard to keep it as low as possible while still fulfilling our climate change commitments'

The climate activists say the small saving is "short-sighted", and are accusing other councillors of ditching their commitment to tackling the crisis.

Cllr Christine Oliver, Green Party chairwoman of the council’s environment committee, said: “Labour has done everything it can to delay getting in place a plan to reduce the council’s greenhouse gas emissions and to provide help and support to others in the community to reduce their environmental impact and fuel bills.

"Just when it looks like a plan is coming together, Labour has chosen to cut environmental funding.”

Mike Eddy, Green Party councillor for Mill Hill, said: “Apart from cutting energy usage in the council’s building, we want to work with others to develop renewable energy sources, as well as reducing plastic pollution.

"Labour has delayed those possibilities by their short-sightedness.

"They are working to increase fuel and food poverty.

"We are working to make Deal an even better place to live and work.”

The Green Party’s plans would have also involved improving the productivity of gardens, creating community orchards, as well as planting trees and hedges to reduce flooding and improve biodiversity.

Conservative councillor Trevor Bond voted against both the 16% and 18% rise.

He said: "My thoughts on the 16% precept rise by the Labour administration at the Deal Town Council is that it is disappointing.

"The last few years their expenditure budget has exceeded their income budget and now this year they have decided to balance their budget by hitting the hard working residents with an inflation busting increase.

"This could have been avoided if they had reviewed their expenditure in all areas each year, but like the previous national Labour Government, they have taken decisions to spend money which they did not have without looking at their costs and now the residents will pay to make up the short fall."

Sue Beer, Labour councillor for North Deal, has defended the decision.

She said: "The agreed tax rate of £69.13 for a band D property means we are still have the lowest precept of all the towns in the district.

"The Labour led council has worked hard to keep it as low as possible while still fulfilling our climate change commitments."

She highlights that two years ago the council allocated up to £50,000 in the budget for environment projects.

While only £15,000 has been spent so far, the council voted to allow the underspend to roll forward and to add a further £15,600 for 2022-23, so that £50,000 remains available.

In Sandwich, the town council has voted to freeze its council tax precept at the same level as last year. Council tax remains at £135.96 per band D property.