Urgent action needed to keep services - council

A report to East Sussex County Council said it could have a funding gap of £55m next year

A Sussex council has said it will need to find savings from its services next year unless the government acts urgently to help.

A report to East Sussex County Council (ESCC) said mounting pressure could leave it with a funding gap of as much as £55m next year, making it "impossible to maintain the current levels of service".

Keith Glazier, council leader, said: "Without fairer longer-term funding agreements, the level of service we could offer would eventually be more severely affected."

A government spokesperson said they "need to address" local government finances and are "preparing for a draft financial statement in December".

A meeting of the full council at ESCC on Tuesday was presented with the latest financial position and the annual State of the County report.

A decade of cuts to government funding has meant East Sussex has had to make nearly £140m of savings since 2012 whilst, in recent years, demand for services and costs have risen considerably, the report said.

'Decent services'

Mr Glazier said: "We are now at the point where even our core offer – the basic but decent level of service we feel our residents deserve - is under threat.

"We have already taken steps to reduce our day-to-day spending where possible and are constantly reviewing all areas of the council’s work to ensure we continue to make the best use of every penny we are able to spend.”

Jim McMahon, the new minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: "We’re committed to ensuring that councils have the resources they need to provide decent public services to their communities."

Extinction Rebellion activists scaled the ESCC offices in Lewes on Tuesday "to demand it stops investing local peoples' pensions in fossil fuels".

Protestors unfurled a banner from the council's roof.

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