COUNCIL chiefs are warning of big council tax hikes or “inevitable” cuts in services ahead of an announcement of how much cash they will get to spend next year.

The Government is due to give details of its annual allocations to local authorities tomorrow and Kent County Council says it fears ministers are preparing changes which could hit council taxpayers hard.

The Government, which gives the lion’s share of money to councils for their services each year, has already consulted on plans to shake-up the way grants are distributed.

Kent fears that a new formula, which will also be announced this week, will see it lose out because more money will be shifted to less well-off areas. Council leaders say that would be wrong and the high costs of the south east make it much more expensive for schools and other services to recruit staff.

They have also claimed the Government’s new formula will overlook the fact that while much of the county is prosperous, it still has pockets of deprivation.

County council leader Sandy Bruce-Lockhart said: “Kent, which has considerable areas of deprivation, particularly in north and east Kent, has made a clear case for an increase in funding. If there is a shortfall, the gap will have to be made up through either the council tax or cuts in services.”