A borough council has been obliged to write off nearly £200,000 owed to it in unpaid business rates after the firms went broke.

Maidstone council finance officers told cabinet members there was no prospect of recovering the debts totalling £199,613 owed by just seven firms.

The debts dated mostly from 2020 to 2023, but one case dated back to 2014.

Among the debtors were Dave of Sevenoaks Ltd, dissolved owing £18,280; Mill Street Group Ltd, dissolved owing £14,669; Genus UK Ltd, which traded as Select, which went into administration owing £53,390, and Wimpey Kent Ltd, which went into liquidation owing £19,352.

At the same meeting, the cabinet was told that even if council tax was increased by the maximum of 3% next year and the council’s fees and charges were increased by 5%, the borough was still facing a budget shortfall of £1m.