A coastal town in Kent could soon have its own council - potentially costing households an extra £80 a year.

Campaigners have launched a petition fighting for Whitstable to be represented by the new layer of governance for the first time.

Currently, the town is part of the Canterbury district, meaning the running of public services falls to the city council.

If Whitstable Town Council materialises it would need to be consulted on all planning bids.

CT5 People’s Forum has started a petition which, if it receives about 950 more signatures, could trigger a new layer of governance in 2025.

Some argue a town council would give Whitstable residents a “voice which we didn’t think we had”.

But critics stress past petition bids received “a very poor response” and claim further bureaucracy would waste taxpayers’ cash.

Chris Stanley, chair of the CT5 People’s Forum’s Town Council Group, explained: “We’d felt for a long time overshadowed by Canterbury City Council (CCC).

“Rarely did they seem to take much notice of what went on in Whitstable even though we had some excellent district councillors from both parties.

“What goes for Canterbury doesn’t go for Whitstable and unless we have a good voice that can influence what goes on in Whitstable we feel we can be ignored.”

The CT5 People’s Forum was founded after CCC scrapped its Whitstable Forum in October 2020, citing financial pressures.

It had allowed residents to discuss local issues with each other and local councillors, as the CT5 People’s Forum now does.

Arguing a prospective council could open a visitor centre and help run facilities like parks, the museum and harbour, Mr Stanley claimed town councils “give you a voice which we didn’t think we had”.

He cites Faversham Town Council as an example, where the authority borrowed money to buy its own town hall, and banned traffic through parts of the town centre.

Mr Stanley argues a Whitstable Town Council could work on such schemes, but stressed: “I’m not suggesting a town council would suddenly wave a magic wand and make it all better.”

Currently, Whitstable, Herne Bay and Margate are the only coastal towns in Kent that do not have a town council.

By law, to establish one a petition must be presented calling for such an authority, supported by the signatures of 7.5% of the electorate - in Whitstable, about 1,700 people.

‘Rarely did they seem to take much notice of what went on in Whitstable’

The petition currently has about 750 signatures in total.

Mr Stanley says he estimates a precept of about £80 per household in addition to council tax could fund the council.

However, this cost is an estimate based on the average council tax Band D property, and would vary significantly depending on the services the council would provide.

The body would also be funded in part by business rates and government grants.

Participation in local elections is traditionally low.

In Dover’s last town council election, total turnout was 24.22%, and in Ramsgate it was 29.12%.

The highest turnout in a Kent town council election in 2023 was in Hythe, with 40.56%.

However, Mr Stanley “would like to think” a Whitstable council could attract higher participation.

“We have got a lot of enthusiasm,” he said.

Fellow campaigner Jacque Acaster concurs, saying the Whitstable Forum’s meetings were very well attended.

“I do agree that it's an uphill struggle to get people to be engaged,” she said.

“But if you look at Faversham, practically everything that goes on - and there is always something going on every weekend - is run by the town council there.”

City council officers have been advising the campaign on the proper process, and if they get the required signature, are looking at elections in 2025 alongside the county council vote.

Local writer and activist Julie Wassmer, however, says that the Lib Dems in 2013 and Greens in 2015 pushed for a Whitstable Town Council, getting “a very poor response” of no more than 58 signatures.

Ms Wassmer says residents told her at the time “they were fed up with ‘talking shops’ of councillors and did not welcome another layer of governance in Whitstable.

“I'm now of the same mind as a local resident who wrote to me recently to say ‘councillors do very little compared to local activists and are always kowtowing to their parties’.”

A council spokesman confirmed it has been in discussion with the CT5 People’s Forum.

He added: "This was not to advocate a town council or discuss the pros and cons, but simply to advise on the process.

“Creating a town council would require a Community Governance Review, which we would be responsible for conducting."