Brighton and Hove: Services under threat

Fears for community services facing budget cuts

Author: Grace O'HarePublished 16th Feb 2024

The average household in Brighton and Hove could be paying more than 2-thousand-300 pounds a year in council tax this year.

City councillors will vote on raising bills by just under 5 percent next week.

If approved, the increase would take force in April, alongside ones for the police and fire services.

The budget is due to be set next Thursday (22 February) with the full council required to agree a package of cuts and savings to deal with a £30 million shortfall as costs increase.

The £1.1 billion budget includes capital spending – or big projects – totalling more than £210 million on top of the £925 million costs of delivering day-to-day council services.

Community Works, which represents the voluntary and community sector in Brighton and Hove, has spelt out its concerns to councillors after combing through the draft budget.

They said that the voluntary and community sector – also known as the third sector– had worked “collaboratively” with the council during the budget-setting process.

The organisation said that it needed a “longer lead-in” to find alternative ways to achieve savings and redesign services to match reduced funding.

But funding reductions would destablilise the sector, Community Works said, and bring services and organisations “to breaking point”.

The budget council meeting is due to start at 4.30pm on Thursday 22 February at Hove Town Hall. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.

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