Council leaders have joined forces to persuade the government to give them more help to avert further cuts to services.

It is the latest joint letter to be sent by leaders of Kent councils from all parties that warns that without more help and more flexibility over money, services will continue to be under threat.

It follows an earlier letter by Kent County Council (KCC) leader Roger Gough to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt that warned KCC's finances were so perilous that it could be bankrupt within a year.

The latest letter from six district council leaders - including Folkestone and Dover - along with the KCC leader, says: “While district council's are not responsible for social care, they are subject to significant cost pressures including housing, supporting a range of migrant charities and groups, double digit inflation on waste contracts, and huge hikes on utility bills and on facilities like leisure centres.”

It goes on to say there are significant shortfalls in other revenue streams such as parking as fewer people continue to work in towns and go shopping in the wake of the Covid pandemic.

It suggests the government gives councils more flexibility, saying: “We would urge you to consider increasing the de minimis cap for district councils to £10.

“This would result in increases ranging from 3.5% to 5.4% but would have minimal impact on the overall bill.”

The letter ends with a warning that unless help is provided key frontline services will be axed: “The threat to services in Kent is real; there are districts who have already or are considering cuts to CCTV, to leisure centres, parks, street cleaning, theatres and other cultural services and grants to voluntary sector.

"Some councils are already been pushed into being a provider of core or statutory services with a consequential loss in support to vulnerable people during a cost of living crisis.”

The government announced recently that it was to allow councils to increase the council tax by up to 5% more without the need to hold a ballot.

It also pledged to plough an extra £7.58bn into adult care.

Signatories to the letter are: David Monk, leader of Folkestone and Hythe District Council; Mike Baldock, Swale council leader; Trevor Bartlett, leader of Dover District Council; John Burden, Gravesham council leader; Ash Ashby, leader of Thanet council; and Ben Chapelard, leader of Tunbridge Wells.