Three Kent councils have been awarded over half a million pounds of government money to develop online services and customer interaction.

Maidstone, Swale and Tunbridge Wells work in partnership and are receiving funding after making successful bids to the government's Transformation Challenge Award scheme.

By working together and increasing digital contact they will be able to cut the costs of customer contact and increase satisfaction.

Redesigning the processes of contact will mean customers will interact with their council in whatever format they choose, but with a focus on digital, as this is becoming the preferred option for many residents.

People will also be able to ‘manage’ their own accounts.

Leader of Maidstone Borough Council Annabelle Blackmore said: "This is very exciting, I want our digital services to be as good, if not better than, those offered in the private sector. This grant will allow us to design digital services that are straightforward and easy to use."

Leader of Swale Borough Council, Andrew Bowles, said: "The Mid Kent Improvement Partnership is already one of the most successful shared partnerships in the country, and this funding will ensure that we continue to be at the cutting edge of shared service design and delivery.

"The residents, taxpayers and service users of Swale will all benefit greatly from the new technology, the ability to self-serve, and reduced costs.’

Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, David Jukes said: "We are thrilled that our funding bid has been successful.

"It is a real shot in the arm and will accelerate our quest to make our services more joined up and accessible to residents, increase the range of things people can do online and to reduce costs to the taxpayer."

While much of the programme will be developed behind the scenes customers will begin to see improvements to the councils’ websites and telephone systems.

The funding will be available from April 2015.

The Transformation Challenge Award scheme is a Department for Communities and Local Government initiative to encourage public sector partners to redesign and deliver services around the people who use them and not around organisations and structures.