Plans for a new town council look set to be dismissed once and for all after campaigners were accused of “moving the goalposts”.

The long-running campaign for a Whitstable Town Council has been dealt a second major blow after a majority of responses to a further consultation rejected the idea.

The first round saw it opposed by residents as it was described as a “talking shop controlled by a narrow group of local busybodies”.

But now the second consultation looks set to put the proposals to bed after 92% of those who responded said they did not want any new authority established.

The results were published this week ahead of a meeting next Wednesday to discuss the next steps.

The new local council - with powers identical to that of a parish - would have cost residents an extra £60 to £80 per year on their council tax bill.

The second stage of consultation sought people’s views a final time before Canterbury City Council came to a recommendation.

For the latest proposal, the CT5 People’s Forum instead suggested a new council covering only Gorrell and Tankerton.

The group has been lobbying Canterbury City Council (CCC) to create a town council for Whitstable for several years.

In December, CCC voted to allow a Community Governance Review - a consultation seeking the views of residents on creating a new town council for the area - to take place.

It came after a long-running campaign and subsequent petition for a town council by the CT5 People’s Forum attracted 1,797 signatures - just passing the 7.5% quota required of 1,763 signatures from the 23,500 electorate.

Some 1,809 people responded to the first consultation, 56% of which were opposed to a town council, 38% were in favour, and 6% undecided.

Speaking after that result, Chris Stanley, spearheading the campaign for the CT5 People’s Forum, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they were “disappointed”.

He continued: “The sad thing is that this means residents will miss out on the benefits of having a town council where it could access money that Canterbury City or Kent County councils cannot.

“We understand that money is tight for many and they don’t want to pay more council tax. This was the reason used by those who campaigned against.”

Only 365 people responded to the new consultation, with 92% backing CCC’s proposal not to form any new authority.

“Any move for a reduced area is merely a case of moving the goalposts,” wrote one respondent to the second consultation.

They continued: “This idea may stimulate a small clique of the local chattering classes but does nothing for the rest of us who do not wish to have imposed yet a further £80 annually in taxation.”

Another wrote: “Who are the CT5 Forum? They appear to be an unelected group who are trying to seize some form of control over our town.”

“The persistence on this matter is frankly ridiculous and divisive. The majority of the town have spoken and to continue flogging this for two wards is nonsense,” wrote another resident.

The petitioners wrote: “The CT5 People’s Forum maintains that it still wants what it asked for.

“The council is obliged by law to delegate powers down unless a high hurdle of opposition is registered. It has not been.”

City councillor for Gorrell ward and cabinet member for coastal communities Chris Cornell (Lab) said: “It’s been very difficult to make a decision on the town council and so we appreciate everyone’s patience.

“Tensions have been running high, especially online, but [the cabinet’s] opinion has always been that those who signed the original petition were in support of the review of whether we should have a town council.

“When we asked the town they widely rejected it.

“The report shows that less than 50 people have indicated we were wrong not to support smaller area and 92% of respondents agreed with us.

“We look forward to the council debating and finding a way to resolve the feeling Whitstable gets a ‘raw deal’ without an extra level of bureaucracy.”

On August 7 CCC’s General Purposes Committee will hold a special meeting to decide on a recommendation to the full council, which makes the final call.

It is recommended they tell the full council to scrap the idea of any new council for Whitstable or anywhere else in the CT5 postcode area.

Mr Stanley declined to comment until the committee makes its recommendation next week.