More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Tens of thousands of pounds are to be pumped into new projects such as displaying a copy of Magna Carta and youth activities.
From April, people living in Faversham will have to pay out out an extra £20 a year as the town council has taken the decision to raise its levy on its portion of council tax by 38.5p a week for taxpayers in B and D to help fund the decisions.
That brings the total amount to £78.05 a year.
Councillors say the raise - agreed as part of their new budget - is to accommodate items that have not been funded before.
Alongside usual expenses such as administration fees and improvements to community spaces, the authority has earmarked money for a number of projects.
With supporting the town’s youngsters high on the council’s agenda, £30,000 has been set aside to employ a youth worker, with a further £10,000 lined up for related facilities.
The budget - agreed by councillors at a meeting last week at the Guildhall - will also see £25,000 injected into plans to display the town’s copy of Magna Carta at 12 Market Place, along with a heritage exhibition.
“It is a budget for action, it is a budget for doing things and changing things for the better..." - Cllr Antony Hook
It comes after uncertainty surrounded the charter’s future, when the council confirmed that if the 720-year-old document could not be displayed it the town other options - such as selling or leasing it - would be explored.
Following a backlash from the public, the authority ruled out its potential sale.
A man from Canterbury is on trial this week accused of trying to steal an 800-year-old copy of Magna Carta from Salisbury Cathedral in 2018. Mark Royden is said to have used a hammer to smash the protective case of the display cabinet in an attempt to steal the artefact.
But heritage committee chairman, Cllr Trevor Martin, says this has not cast any doubts on plans to display Faversham’s copy.
He said: “The town council is in the early stages and, as part of the design concept, security of any display has been considered. The fact that, even in this attempt, the Magna Carta was not reached gives us confidence that the display would be suitably secure.”
Alongside Magna Carta’s security, the budget will also see £28,000 driven into the 20’s Plenty campaign, which members are hopeful to roll out this year.
Cllr Antony Hook (Lib Dem) - who said that the weekly increase is “less than the cost of a Mars Bar” - believes it is a “progressive budget”.
“There is an emphasis on action for the community,” he told KentOnline's sister paper the Faversham News. “It is a budget for action, it is a budget for doing things and changing things for the better.
“The council is doing the right thing - it is bringing a resource together to do things we couldn’t do as individuals.”
Cllr Hannah Perkin (Lib Dem) added: “People are finding it difficult financially, and obviously there is an increase on council tax, but the hope of this budget is to feed back into those people.
“Hopefully it will make their lives easier.”
Gatherings such as the food festival will also continue to be supported, with £12,000 allocated. Meanwhile, £25,000 has been earmarked to help combat homelessness.
Cllr Carole Jackson (Lab) has hailed the budget as a “real start” in tackling the challenges the town faces in the future.
She added: “Over the next 12 months, we will be working hard to ensure that the council delivers on new projects likes it youth provision and also gets to grips with the weak financial situation it has inherited.”
