People living in Gravesham are likely to see a small increase in the borough's part of the council tax.

Gravesham council’s cabinet recommended an increase of 1.97% at a cabinet meeting on Monday.

The final decision will be made at a meeting of the full council on Tuesday, February 24.

This rise results in an annual charge of £181.71 for a Band D property. The charge for a Band D property in 2014-15 was £178.20.

Speaking after the meeting, council leader Cllr John Burden said his cabinet’s budget was viable.

He said: “The increase in council tax we are going for works out at about 7p a week, which I don’t think is unreasonable.

“We’re definitely going to be keeping the parades and festivals and funding The Woodville. It shows we’ve got a plan for the next few years.”

Councillors could have chosen to increase council tax by 2% or more, but that would have triggered a referendum.

The other option was to keep bills the same in return for a one-off £65,900 “freeze grant” from the government – the equivalent of a 1% increase.

In line with a new government formula, council property rents were recommended to rise by £1.91 a week, putting the average weekly rent at £89.

Another recommendation to full council was the introduction of solar-powered, self-compacting bins that send emails when they need emptying.

A shipment of 28 bins would be leased over a five year period with a projected cost of £108,726.

On the issue of parking, Cllr Burden told the cabinet that fees in council-run car parks would stay the same, and free parking on Sundays and in the evening would continue.

After the meeting, leader of the Conservatives Cllr John Cubitt said his party was not completely happy with the proposed budget.

He said: “We will be considering putting amendments at the full council meeting. We propose freezing the council tax and reintroducing free Saturday parking to support business and we also propose reintroducing some support for Age UK.”

The draft budget for 2015-16 will have to be agreed by the full council at a budget meeting later this month.

• A line in today's edition of the Gravesend Messenger that said Gravesham council tax is "set to rise by more than £180" is incorrect. The council tax is set to rise to more than £180. The Messenger apologises for any confusion caused.