Councillors are set to debate permanently closing three customer service surgeries across Tonbridge and Malling.

Borough Green's surgery has been temporarily shut since 2017, but Snodland and Larkfield have remained open.

Last year the two surgeries helped more than 1,000 people with questions over their benefits, housing and council tax.

Larkfield's helped an average of 12 people per week last year, compared to eight per week in Snodland.

Both surgeries are based at their respective town libraries.

On Thursday Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee will discuss both surgeries' future.

Documents show TMBC spends £13,410 a year running Larkfield customer service surgery and £4,030 at Snodland - together amounting to less than £20,000.

Larkfield South councillor and Lib Dem leader Anita Oakley said: "I'd hope the most that would happen is that Larkfield goes down to be open only one day a week, rather than the two days we get now.

"There's an obvious need for it, people use these surgeries when they desperately need help.

"I'll be fighting my corner to keep the services going, even if its a matter of finding a cheaper base to run from."

Should it reopen, Borough Green would cost £13,346 a year, but such a move looks unlikely.

The council's deputy chief exec Adrian Stanfield advised councillors: "The surgery at Borough Green has been closed since April 2017. We are not aware of any negative impact brought about by this closure, so there is not considered to be any basis for re-opening this surgery.

"Even if the opening hours of this surgery were reduced to bring it into line with Larkfield and Snodland, the historic low number of weekly enquiries would suggest that the operating costs would remain high by comparison."

Thursday's meeting is expected to pass a recommendation on to a full council meeting, so all councillors can have their say.

Mr Stanfield, whose salary and benefits top £100,000, said there was a "strong argument" for closing all of the council's surgeries.

He said: "On a purely financial case, there is a strong argument that the costs of providing the surgeries are unsustainable.

"However, members will of course wish to balance the costs against the wider community benefit of providing customer services at the locations in question."

Meeting documents suggest residents could instead go to the council offices in King's Hill or Tonbridge Castle for queries.

Alternatively they could go online or call the council to ask questions.

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