Thanet council has received a ‘sizeable uplift’ in funding from government, says East Thanet MP Polly Billington.
The MP says there has been a rise of 16%- equating to around £4.1m- in the funding package from government for 2025/26 to 2028/29, adding that the same percentage amount that was cut between 2015 and 2020 by the Conservative government.
A radical overhaul of how local government is funded is underway with Labour’s Fair Funding settlement.
The government says England’s councils will receive more than £79 billion for essential services, with more money going to places with the greatest need.
The aim is for councils to have more resources available to bring back libraries, youth services, clean streets, and community hubs.
The money is part of the first multi-year funding settlement in over a decade, giving councils three years of financial certainty so they can plan ahead rather than firefight year to year.
Ms Billington said: “I fought hard for extra funding, because I know that our public services and local infrastructure need significant investment. These increases in funding are an important part of improving things we care about like buses, bin collections, and fixing potholes.
“Under the Conservatives, local government funding was gutted, with the result being shuttered youth services, potholed roads, and heritage assets flogged off. At the last election Labour promised voters we will end the decline and invest in our communities again, so I really welcome this much-needed extra funding.”
Thanet council says it is going through the details to see exactly what funding it has and how it will be used in the draft budget.
A spokesperson said: “The council received notification of the provisional local government finance settlement at 5.00pm yesterday (Wednesday 17 December).
“This settlement marks the biggest change, in many years, to how councils are funded and we are now going through the details.
“As such, finance officers need to examine this in closer detail in order to finalise proposals for the draft budget 2026-27. The draft budget will be presented to the Cabinet on Thursday 22 January 2026, prior to public consultation.”
The East Thanet MP also says Kent County Council will get a £459 million cash injection for essential services.
Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran said “Late yesterday we finally received our present, yes, the much-delayed Fair Funding Review. The Government finally gave us the information upon which we depend to make all our future financial decisions.
“We got an increase of £127.3 million for 2026–27, an 8.3% rise compared to the adjusted like-for-like figure for 2025–26. The Government has also indicated further increases of 7% for 2027–28 and 6.8% for 2028–29.
“We welcome the clarity, but the reality is that demand for services continues to rise sharply, particularly in adult social care and SEND.
“At its core this settlement punishes rural communities, rewarding urban councils instead. It is unfair because cities are already prioritised above counties and shires for investment.
“So, we will continue to press Government for sustainable, long-term funding solutions that reflect the real costs of delivering services in Kent.”
“These increases in funding are an important part of improving things we care about like buses…”
So, what new/improved bus services is Thanet going to get?
I believe that improvements have already been announced, including the reistatement of the route through Minster to Canterbury.
I thought she was just campaigning for it? But great news if true.
DONT MAKE ME LAUGH FUNDING -FOR THANET COUNCIL-WHERE ROADS HAVE POT HOLES RUBBISH IN NEIGHBOURHOODS-CRIME AND EVERYTHING-AND EMPTY SHOPS IN THANET TOWNS,COUNCIL TAX I PAY FROM MY HARD WORK. USELESS COUNCIL NOT WORTH A PENNY.
if we said we would like art buses , i am sure they will be funded and provided for immediately
You put your left foot in, your left foot out, in, out, in ……
OMG we’re overspent
OMG we’ve got more money
In another article on this website, it mentioned that Polly is asking for local residents to complete her survey on local bus services.
https://survey.labour.org.uk/r9nt8b2ggrupgm9wndl94hwe3
Excellent! Just filled it in.
What is needed is an overall plan to restore and strengthen the bus network not some expedient way of patching up a crumbling network
If more money is on the cards it is welcome,but it is directed to TDC not for buses.
Did you fill in the survey?
My guess is it will be meaningless Peter! Billington is self serving, and will only do anything if it wins her votes, anything else she isn’t interested in, thats my experience of her!
In an article elsewhere, the new allocation of funding to councils was achieved by taking funding from councils that had low council tax. So effectively forcing those councils to increase bills in the future. So just a case of more wealth redistribution whilst taking away incentives to be efficient and prudent.
Given the current rate of inflation and assuming this stays broadly where it is in the coming years, this equates to around 1% of increased “spending power” per year. The increase is heavily stacked in 2025/2026 too rather than being evenly spread over the whole period quotes.
Being an eternal optimist, I hope they can assign some of the extra money to keeping coastal toilets open during the winter period.
Remember what I said about gold bars?
As for the suggestion that is unfair to balance up council tax between wealthy and deprived councils,it’s just over a century since “Poplarism” took. Hold over the same issue. 100 years on and we have Buckingham Palace with a council tax of around £1700 and a 3 bed room detached in Thanet on £2k, which is what the mansion tax was all about.
How this comes about is certain city areas with wealthy populations whose need for public services is relatively low have lower council tax.
So on the principle of contributing according to means and receiving according to needs, a mild piece of redistribution is done.
“Poplarism”? Is that an obsession with deciduous trees?
So you are the one who writes the jokes in cheap christmas crackers!
Again, did you feel in the survey? Or did you tell Polly to shut up yet again?
My point is that as you state it is purely redistributive ideology. Council tax is meant to be levied to cover the local councils expenditure.
If governments want to socialise council spending then it needs to be done from general taxation and done on the basis of income rather than assuming anyone in a larger home has the wherewithall to pay whatever is demanded.
At which point is it seen that the “wealthy” have contributed enough?
That’s not a point, it is an observation fully in line with Dickens Christmas carol. By your reckoning deprived areas will remain deprived until what? They shape up and become wealthy? How does that happen? Cut all benefits and make them live in tents out of sight of wealthier people?
The widow in the mansion is not an argument because those on low incomes get help with council tax, and you can sell a house and downsize, which I accept should be made easier.
We have been redistributing wealth ever since the budget of 1909, when old age pensions were started.
Council tax is not easily avoided or evaded, mainly because a house is not easily moved, whereas cash can be hidden or transferred away that’s why.
You can’t take it with you know,Peace makes plenty! If people spent more of their time investing and enjoying their money, instead of hoarding it in cash ISAs or in trusts, they would be a lot happier.
The point at which the “wealthy” can be said to have contributed enough is when the gini coefficient is more in line with other European countries, and millionaires and billionaires stop throwing their weight around by subsidising dodgy political “ideologies”and leave the rest of us in peace and plenty.
I’m saying government should be honest and spread the load across everyone and that means doing it via income tax. The tinkering with council tax is just attacking those who made different decisions with their income. Why is someone who wanted to buy a better home with their post tax income seen as a target for more tax as against those that want designer clothes , a new car every 3 years, watches, art , jewellery, cosmetic surgery etc etc etc?
I could introduce you to one of the benefit dependent ( through choice ) who has enough to service £500 a month loan for cosmetic surgery. Is it really quite right that they pay a pittance in council tax ( to be zero if tdc’s recent proposed largess comes to fruition).
In addition those in larger homes are less likely to be using nhs dentistry, might have private healthcare and will , if in the fullness of time they need it, pay their own care bills. All of which are the extras they pay to society that are’nt spoken of.
We’ve created a system in this country that encourages people to be “poor” and disincentives to strive and work hard.
That is what’s holding the nation back, eternally taxing any and everything is never going to improve things , it’ll only level the nation down, though it would seem that being so much easier than actually building something this government is going to level down as fast as it can. The suggestion that they’re trying to build a sufficiently large client state to stay in with a chance at the next election is becoming more believable by the day.
The state this country has been left by the Tories,any amount would help.As a building surveyor I can tell you it would be cheaper to demolish many public buildings than to keep putting a sticky plaster on them.
Perhaps we could start by clearing the dirty litter and weed ridden streets.I have never seen such neglect.
The filthy streets are nothing to do with The Tories. (a) We have both a Labour council and a Laabour government, and (b) many nearby areas even in East Kent don’t suffer from the same neglect as Thanet.
Dave – give it a rest please – always blaming Tories when Labour are responsible for destroying our country at this time – just look around you when you emerge and look at what faces you.
Sorry Peter they are also to blame.The litter,graffiti,rusty lamposts,defaced roadsigns,broken roadside railings,potholes,faded roadlines,weed growth from East Kent College to Tescos have been neglected for years.My own road has never seen a broom or Council litter picker in the 15 years that I have lived here.I would argue that the general level of governance of our streets is a criminal offence.Its quite simply Third World.
I agree. It’s been a dung hole for decades.
David-“Third World”? Yet another comment by someone who wants to make a depressing exaggeration.
This country slipped into 3rd world status years ago! Take a look at our public services, nothing works! The NHS, Schools, public buildings all crumbling due to neglect, and poorly staffed. Prisons filled to capacity, prisoners being released early to make room. Lawlwssness, and anti-social behaviour rife, mainly due to lack of police. Criminals going unpunished due to court cases taking years. Shop lifting through the roof, homelessness, roads some 3rd world countries would be ashamed of. Make your own list!
M.M.Rees please join me for a 10000 step walk and I will convert you.Every single step from EKC to Tesco Westwood Cross is met with a piece of litter.You really need to see the facts.Yes i have visited many Third World countries cleaner than Thanet.I would say Thanet is the ditiest place I have ever by some way.
Just today every bin on the Ramsgate coastline is broken with litter and dog poo everywhere including the sea.
I’ve travelled pretty much everywhere in Europe (and occasionally further), including “poor” countries like Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, but I can honestly say that the only places I’ve been to as bad as Thanet are parts of North Wales like Rhyl and St. Asalph. Cleanest country overall? A toss up between Germany and Austria.
St. Asaph is a cathedral city in Wales with a population of about 3,500 people.
I completely disagree with the usage of “Third World” as a description of Thanet.
In my case M.M. Rees, I wasn’t just referring to Thanet as being like a 3rd Country, its all of Britain thats like a 3rd World Country! There’s nothing to be proud of here, which is why I don’t understand the racist fascists waving the Union flag when they go on their marches! None of them can say what they are proud of here, they just like bullying people who are vulnerable, and helpless, like Asylum Seekers and Refugees!
And Jews.
Shalom, and have a great Christmas!
Peter why are you still pretending to be a Jew? We have been over this, a Jew must be practicing the Jewish faith, and attend a synagogue and you don’t! They are NOT a race, so no one can be born a Jew! Why not try the Mormons, they would welcome someone like you!
I think we ALL need to unite against the growing anti-semitism in the world, something particularly close to my heart given that my lovely Grandad’s name was Cohen.
Shalom (Hebrew for Peace)
In fact, I think it’s wrong to describe “all of Britain” as being “like a Third World country”.
Of course there are some posh bits, mostly wealthy, who don’t suffer from poor public services, some even in Thanet! I have been in and out of the NHS since I had a stroke and was treated appallingly! I made a complaint, and the nice lady who got back to me said she agreed, but some of the problems in the NHS are due to too many agency staff! I now know the NHS are requiting foreign agency staff, why?