Today Full Council approved Conservative-run East Sussex’s 2023/24 budget. Vital services across the county are set to be protected once again.
Approval of the Cabinet’s proposals means that the authority will spend just over £500 million in the upcoming financial year on services including schools, roads, libraries and support for the most vulnerable residents, with no new cuts to spending.
This positive outlook stands in stark contrast to other less financially prudent local Boroughs, Districts and Unitary Authorities run by opposition parties, who are financially challenged and preparing further cuts to services.
A decade of careful financial planning and discipline, often involving tough decisions, and adopting imaginative service delivery strategies, has put the Conservative-run county council in this strong position,
Government funding calculations for 2023/24 assume councils will take both the higher level of council tax and additional adult social care precept. This combined with a significant increase in demand for services, coupled with rising costs, means residents will be asked to pay more in council tax under the proposed budget. This will include a 2.99 per cent increase in council tax combined with a two per cent increase for adult social care.
Councillor Nick Bennett, lead member for Resources and Climate Change said:
“In order to deliver a balanced budget, and keeping a responsible weather-eye on medium term financial risks, we’ve taken the full rise in council tax; the additional funding will safeguard services for the future and enable the council to continue to deliver on its priority outcomes, ensuring it keeps vulnerable people safe, makes the best use of resources, drives sustainable economic growth and helps people across the county to help themselves.”
Under the budget, the council’s ongoing capital programme includes continued investment in improvements to the highways infrastructure, school places, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) provision, as well as further supporting the council’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint from its operations.
East Sussex Conservative Council Leader, Keith Glazier said:
“It is no coincidence that the only financially sound local authorities in this county are Conservative-run. Where we govern, we work very hard to spend local taxpayers’ money prudently, to avoid running up massive debts on their behalf, and to deliver highly rated services.”
