Your tax bill is set to go up more than usual this year as Dartford council prepares to end a seven year freeze on its council tax.

Councillors are set to approve a £4.95 increase for Band D properties at the council’s annual budget meeting on Monday week, up from £162.90.

It represents a 3% rise in the borough council’s tax share, and council leader Cllr Jeremy Kite (Con) said it comes as a result of members identifying three major issues that require firmer tackling in the months ahead.

“It is a bit sad and we thought long and hard as a group because it’s been seven years, and it would have been nice to carry on without a council tax increase,” he said.

“We could’ve carried on but you would have started seeing a degradation of services and I don’t want to see that happen.”

On the list of priorities for 2017 is tackling Dartford’s littering problem, anti-social behaviour, and investing in social care.

Regarding the cleanliness of the borough and its waste collection service, Cllr Kite believes his council has “quite a good reputation” but acknowledged that more needs to be done to keep rubbish off the streets.

“There has been a change in society that seems to be moving towards not caring about how a place looks and where you live,” he said.

“An extra five pounds isn’t a lot but it does mean we can do more work on littering.”

“We could’ve carried on but you would have started seeing a degradation of services and I don’t want to see that happen" Cllr Jeremy Kite

Cllr Kite said the additional funds could be put towards criminal prosecutions against those caught flytipping, and also provide support to voluntary groups and schemes dedicated to tidying up their communities.

The bid to take on anti-social behaviour forms part of the council’s commitment to “beef up community safety”, as typified by the impending introduction of a public space protection order (PSPO).

Street drinkers, drug takers and brawlers are being targeted as part of the crackdown on antisocial behaviour, with police and council officers also to be given greater power to confiscate alcohol, legal highs.

Regarding social care, Cllr Kite wants the council to have the funds to fight homelessness and help people with mental health problems.

“We have the homelessness issue, people’s welfare, mental health, child poverty, where we want to get involved and we need a bit more money to tackle these issues,” he added.

“I am very proud of our council house building programme (at Temple Hill), even though I know that it’s not without controversy.”

Cllr Kite is confident that the next year will see his council continue to deliver on the sorts of things he’s most proud of, including facilities like Fairfield, Dartford Cricket Club’s pavilion, and Princes Park.

At last year’s budget meeting he pledged to deliver similar facilities “around the borough”, and plans for a new home for Dartford Valley Rugby Club at Stone Lodge are expected to be unveiled in the next few weeks.

Cllr Kite added: “We are a smaller council and I want to carry on providing things that add to people’s lives. People do know us for things like the Dartford Festival, the theatre in the park, the cinema screenings.

“We’re the smallest council in Kent and I am very proud that if you live here you can come to these free events.”

Dartford residents can also expect an increase to other parts of their tax bill — Kent County Council, Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue, and the vast majority of the borough’s parish councils are hiking their tax.

The only Dartford parish councils not putting their tax up are Longfield and New Barn, Southfleet, and Swanscome and Greenhithe.

Local authorities across the country are being hit by reductions to the support grants they receive from the government, which will completely dry up in 2019.

Dartford council will receive a support grant of just over £684,000 for 2017/18, which is down 47% from 2016/17.