HOMEOWNERS in Ditton, near Maidstone, will learn this week whether they are to foot one of the largest council tax bills in the county.

Under proposals submitted to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council on Thursday night families could face a 21 per cent rise in their parish council precept, meaning the average Band D bill would rise from £86.83 a year to £104.82.

If approved, the total bill - including charges from the borough council, Kent County Council and Kent Police - would rise to £1,052.70 a year.

It would make Ditton's bill the highest in the borough and would give Ditton Parish Council £180, 105 towards projects in the village. The parish ouncil would be charging its residents almost twice as much as Snodland Town Council - the next highest in the borough - which hopes to raise £169,969 next year by charging its Band D householders £54.72. Snodland residents would pay a total of £1,002.60 a year.

The lowest-charging parish in the borough would be West Peckham with a Band D bill of only £6.03 per year - giving a total bill of £953.91. Ditton Parish Council clerk Sue Eveson claims its high bill is down to the relatively low number of houses in the parish.

She said: "We have got a lot of open space which is managed by the parish council and a in a lot of other facilities we subsidise the rates for people who live in the village.

"We also have to pay a business rate to the borough council for our community centre which was £16,500 last year.

"If we filled our lovely open space with properties we wouldn't have a problem. But we need to raise £180,150 from 1,718 properties - that is why the actual payment is so high."

The Kent Association of Parish Councils confirmed Ditton residents were being asked to pay one of the highest council tax bills in the county but claimed the parish council was "a good service provider".

Secretary Rodney Williamson said: "Bills do vary tremendously with the ambition and work of the council concerned. It is a fairly high precept but Ditton has got the biggest community centre in the county and is a very active parish.

"Some councils raise money by owning or selling land but if they don't then they may ask residents to go along with them and raise money."