KENT County Council will get an extra £30million to spend on services next year after the Government announced above-inflation increases for local authorities.

Ministers insisted the funding package represented a boost for frontline services like education and social services and there should be no excuse for high council tax increases.

But County Hall’s ruling Conservative administration said KCC had been hit by a double whammy which would still leave it with a cash shortfall and higher council tax bills next year.

They blamed the introduction by the Government of a new funding formula to replace the previous system to decide who gets what.

Council leader Sandy Bruce-Lockhart said: “It is very disappointing for us. It seems Kent is getting an increase of 3.5 to 3.9 per cent but some councils are getting eight per cent. This is the biggest shift in funding we have seen and unfortunately, it moves money from the south east.”

He singled out higher wage costs and general cost of living as factors which meant Kent ought to be given more. “We will try to reduce our overheads and money on administration but it will mean service cuts and an increase in the council tax,” he added.

In total, KCC has been allocated more than £812million in Government grants – an increase of 3.9per cent over last year.

In education, Kent will receive an increase of 6.6 per cent in its budget, which translates into a cash increase of more than £42.7million over last year.

Opposition Labour group leader Cllr Mike Eddy said the Government’s announcement confounded predictions that Kent would be shortchanged.

“These increases confound everything the Tories have been making predictions about. Kent has received a settlement which puts it in the middle of all authorities and that is about right. It recognises that we have areas of deprivation as well as more prosperous areas.”

The Government says its formula will help poorer regions by acknowledging areas of deprivation and allocating more money to them.

Local government minister Nick Raynsford said: “There is no reason why councils cannot continue to improve services while sticking to reasonable council tax increases.”