Vital services across Conservative-run East Sussex are set to be protected once again under the latest proposals for the county's 2023/24 budget.
Papers released ahead of a Cabinet meeting yesterday (24 Jan) show how the authority could spend £500 million 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 Boroughs and Districts in the county which are run by opposition parties who are slashing services.
A decade of careful financial planning has put the county council in a strong position, but a significant increase in demand on services, coupled with rising costs, means residents would be asked to pay more in council tax under the proposed budget. This would include a 2.99 per cent increase in council tax combined with a two per cent increase for adult social care.
The report tells how Government funding calculations for 2023/24 assume councils will take both the higher level of council tax and additional adult social care precept and that this will be factored into its allocation of funding to local authorities.
The additional funding will enable the council to continue to deliver services based 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.
“Given the very significant risks we face in the medium term we do need to apply these increases to safeguard services for the future,” the report says. It identifies a funding gap of £41 million by 2025 unless more support is given to East Sussex.
Under the proposals, the council’s capital programme would include 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.
The draft budget was agreed by the Cabinet and will now be presented to Full Council on Tuesday, February 7.
