East Sussex County Council agrees 4.99% tax increase

The increase will see an average band D household pay £1,778.31 next year, an increase of £84.51

Council tax bills in East Sussex will rise by 4.99% after the county council agreed its budget for the coming financial year.

The increase will see an average band D household pay the county council £1,778.31, an increase of £84.51.

Councillor Nick Bennett, Conservative cabinet member for resources, said the decision was "not made lightly" given the pressure on household budgets.

"But we have to protect our services now and for the future," he said.

"Demand for care services continues to grow and we have little choice but to increase local taxation."

He said the £538m budget did not include proposals for any new savings, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, it does include a planned use of reserves of up to £14m to cover a shortfall in the council's available funds.

Mr Bennett said this decision to draw from reserves had been made following advice from the government.

The budget was agreed at a council meeting on Tuesday without any amendments being tabled by opposition parties.

'Utterly depressing'

Liberal Democrat group leader David Tutt said the most significant decisions had already been taken nationally.

Mr Tutt said: "This budget is Jeremy Hunt's budget and that is being reflected in local authorities across the length and breadth of the country, because the government has tied the hands of local government, it has taken away our ability for self-determination."

Labour group leader Chris Collier said: "This is the government's budget and not this council's budget. It is basically what has come down from ministers, with very little opportunity to do anything differently."

Johnny Denis, leader of the Green Party group, said it was "utterly depressing" not to have been in a position to put forward an alternative budget.

"We've got a government that's overseen a decade or more of deliberate decline in public and local services, while our residents have been sweated for every penny of available council tax," he said.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: "We recognise councils are facing challenges and that is why we recently announced an additional £600m support package for councils across England, increasing their overall proposed funding for next year to £64.7bn - a 7.5% increase in cash terms."

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