Parking prices are set to increase but there will still be a £1.5 million gap in a borough’s budget.

Swale council is asking people to have their say on the proposed plans for the next financial year.

Yesterday (November 27), its Policy and Resources Committee agreed for the 2025/26 draft to go out to consultation.

It outlines £2.3m of proposed savings, efficiencies and increased income, leaving a budget gap of £1.5m which would be funded from reserves if further savings are not found.

Short-stay car parks in the borough are set to see fees increased by at least 10p.

This would be from 70p to 80p for up to 30 minutes and £2.80 to £3 for up to two hours.

The maximum stay of four hours would be set at £6 – a jump from £5.60 – if the proposals are approved.

It would apply to sites including Institute Road in Faversham; Central Avenue, Crown Quay Lane and Milton High Street in Sittingbourne; as well as Rose Street and Trinity Place on Sheppey.

The long-stay car parks, which have a standard tariff of 7am until 10pm, will also see a similar change.

For over four hours, motorists will have to fork out £7.50, an increase of 40p.

This includes Partridge Lane in Faversham, plus Bell Road and Cockleshell Walk in Sittingbourne, as well as Cross Street and Trinity Road on Sheppey.

Other increases in the proposals include council tax, which will rise by 2.96%.

If approved, it would see homeowners living in a Band D property across the borough having to pay an extra £5.72 each year – or 11p a week.

All council tax collected in Swale is shared between Kent County Council (KCC), Kent Fire and Rescue Service, Kent Police and town or parish councils.

The consultation will allow residents to comment on the proposals and include questions on how the council can increase savings and revenue but decrease spending.

It also asks for the public's opinion on their planned capital spending such as buying new assets and increasing council tax.

The funding is used to provide a variety of services, such as waste and recycling collection, public toilets, street cleaning, housing benefits, dealing with planning applications and providing leisure centres.

Roadworks, social care, schools and libraries are delivered by KCC.

Cllr Tim Gibson, leader of the council, said: “We work hard to provide the best services that we can for local people, but the simple fact is that services like supporting people facing homelessness, maintaining our green spaces, keeping the borough clean and much more, all need to be paid for.

“In recent years our costs have risen significantly and we are only allowed to increase the money we receive from council tax by a very small amount.

“In order to balance the books, we continually look for more ways to make efficiency savings and increase our income where we can.

“Despite these challenges, we are committed to getting the best value out of every pound that we receive to improve the lives of our local people.

“This draft budget outlines how we propose to do this, but we want to hear your views to help in informing the hard choices that we are making.

“I know that we will not be able to deliver everything that everyone wants but we will strive to continue providing good services, whilst also being honest and open about the challenges that we are facing.

“Please take some time to read through our draft budget and give us your honest thoughts and feedback on what is most important to you.”

The consultation runs until 5pm on Wednesday, January 8.

Click here if you’d like to find out more or to have your say.

The results of the consultation will be reported to the Policy and Resources Committee on February 5, before the full council is asked to approve the final budget on February 19.