New figures have revealed the local authority which has amassed the largest amount of debt in the whole of Kent after the county council.

Medway Council has £225 million of debt on its books, £75 million more than the next district council in Kent – although with less debt recorded per person.

Last month, the BBC Shared Data Unit analysed numbers from councils across the country about the amount of debt local authorities had taken on.

When these figures were released, Medway Council was not included but it is now shown its debt burden represents £805 per resident.

Canterbury City Council has the second largest amount of debt in Kent, with £157.6 million, and Ashford Borough Council owes £125.4 million.

Kent County Council borrowed a staggering total of £787 million.

Despite having the next highest raw figure in terms of amount borrowed, Medway – which has by far the biggest population and is governed by a unitary authority – actually sits lower in terms of debt per person, with Ashford owing £935 per resident and Canterbury needing £1,007 per person.

While high, Medway’s figures are dwarfed by other areas of the country, including Woking which has a debt of almost £2 billion – £18,756 per person – following tricky investments in hotels and skyscrapers.

The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities data shows that, in total, local councils have more than £122 billion in debt.

This borrowing is typically to invest in large-scale projects, such as Medway Council’s new temporary accommodation scheme which was agreed at Full Council last month, the Mountbatten House redevelopment, and the Pentagon Shopping Centre.

The topic of local government debt has been of growing concern as some local councils’ gambles haven’t paid off.

These include Thurrock Council which found itself with a £469 million funding black hole due to failed investments, largely in solar farms.

Medway Council recently published its draft budget which is based upon asking central government for exceptional powers to borrow £30 million for the next two years to get back on a strong financial footing.

It will also be declassifying £5 million in reserves to pay for the £12 million overspend projected for the 2023/24 financial year.

The council has also announced plans to be debated at next week’s cabinet meeting to borrow £20 million to refurbish the authority’s HQ after it was closed due to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in October.

The council said, as part of its plan to balance the budget, it carefully considers investments and borrowing and how it can confidently service the repayments.