West Sussex County Council to consider budget cuts
The authority needs to make cuts of more than £40m in 2021/22
Members of West Sussex County Council's cabinet will meet later this month to decide how to address a budget shortfall of more than £40 million for 2021/22.
A number of savings proposals are being considered ahead of the meeting on January 22nd, following the Government’s recent announcement on local authority funding for the coming year.
By law, the authority has to present a balanced budget for the upcoming year, which requires them to plug a gap of around £43.6 million, including costs incurred during their handling of the coronavirus outbreak in the county.
Among the proposals being considered are ones to reduce which kinds of waste can be taken to the county's recycling centres, and cutting back the hours in which disabled people can use their free bus passes.
Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council, said:
“As you know this year has been extremely challenging for us, as for all local authorities, both in terms of the usual level of demand for our services but intensified by the pandemic we have all been working so hard to respond to.
“As such we had significant savings to make in order to ensure we deliver a balanced budget for 2021/22.
“Now Government has set out what funding it will provide to local authorities for the coming year, and what parameters it is putting around Council Tax, we are able to review the list of proposed savings for the coming year.
“This means we will be able to remove some of the savings we originally proposed in order to mitigate, as best we can, the impact of these challenging financial times, on our residents.”
The savings which Cabinet will consider for removal when the budget is discussed by Cabinet on January 22nd are:
Review of Lifelong Services day services
measures to reduce the amount of DIY waste presented at Household Waste Recycling Sites (HWRS)
review of the HWRS network
Review of public transport support
reduction in additional bus pass access for specific groups including companion passes or users with a registered disability.
Local bus subsidy changes
The council's scrutiny committees will review individual savings proposals as they develop through January.
It’s expected that several public consultations will also start once final proposals are settled so members of the public can have their say on how the proposed savings may affect them.
On January 20th, the council’s Performance and Finance Scrutiny Committee will look at the current budget position, while two days later on January 22nd, a public meeting of the Cabinet will consider the final budget proposals, including the final savings and the capital programme.
The final revenue budget will go before a full council meeting on February 12th, along with the authority's Capital Strategy 2021 – 2026 and Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2021/22.