24th January 2024
County Council Budget 2024/25: The focus at County Hall has been on the local government settlement which was released ahead of Christmas. The position is quite challenging.
The pressure on county council budgets nationally comes from a partly unanticipated rise in the living wage, meeting our statutory obligations in social care (rising supply costs and rising demands on the service), rising SEND demand, and Home-to-School Transport. The biggest spending pressure for us and many other authorities comes from Children’s social care. Of course, some other authorities have failed to pursue efficiencies, over-borrowed and unwisely speculated, but we have done all the right things over the last decade.
Nevertheless, in response to our lobbying, the government have made an additional £600 million available nationally for local authorities to help address social care challenges. Our share of these funds (~1%) will not fully solve the social care funding problems locally, but it will help.
Our ESCC 2024/25 draft budget (not factoring in these additional monies) maintains core services, supported by £14.3 million drawn from County Council reserves. The budget will be debated at Full Council on February 6th. East Sussex were given a high rating for service-delivery in the recent 2023 peer review challenge, and we intend to maintain these nationally recognised high standards.
Local Authority Debt: Recent national focus on local authority debt reveals East Sussex County Council to be quite well positioned with just £396 of debt per head of population (Brighton & Hove City Council per-capita debt by comparison stands at £1370).
Highways: The 2023/24 budget for highways structural maintenance, including bridges and street lighting and one-off investment, is in the region of £46 million; double that budgeted for in 2020/21
The new contractor Balfour Beatty seem to be settling down to the job. They have 10 gangs currently in operation daily across East Sussex. County-wide, an average of 376 potholes are being filled on average per week, and 6008 were filled in the final 4 months of 2023. As ever the priority is to encourage residents to report potholes and to photograph and report any poor fills (keep in mind some of these may relate to the Utilities who (annoyingly) have 6 months to make good the fill - regardless report them!). My website guides how to report on all things “Highways.”
Hailsham has seen substantial surfacing work done in Ersham Road and South Road. We are promised surfacing works in Diplocks Way in the spring (final dates to be confirmed).
Cost of living payment set for February: Eight million people on means-tested benefits will receive a cost-of-living payment in February to help with high bills. Those on low incomes and receiving benefits such as universal credit are eligible but should be wary of scams – on legitimate payments, there will be a reference on a recipient’s bank account of their national insurance number, followed by DWP COL, or the reference HMRC COLS for those who are eligible through tax credits.
The £299 payment will be made directly into bank accounts, without the need to make a claim, between 6 and 22 February.
This story was reported nationally.
Funding boost to bolster green skills: Council leaders have welcomed funding that will help boost green skills and support the county’s move to net zero. East Sussex County Council’s Employability and Skills Team successfully bid for £240,000 from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to launch to Retrofit Skills East Sussex project.
As the project progresses, it is hoped that a range of activities, such as careers campaigns and subsidised training courses, will be offered to support the Retrofit Skills Plan. Updates on the project as it progresses can be found on the council’s website.
Read more about this story here.
Winter events to take place in East Sussex libraries: A programme of free winter events for both children and adults has been taking place in libraries across the festive season and into 2024. The events include author talks, festive crafts and activities, as well as storytelling experiences. On 27 January, Lewes Library and the Lewes Literary Society will host writer, illustrator and cartoonist Chris Riddell in a celebration of the well-loved illustrator Raymond Briggs.
Events are free, but booking may be required. For more information on the upcoming events, visit the Events section on eastsussex.spydus.co.uk. Read more about this story here.
Winner of prestigious art prize announced in Eastbourne: Jesse Darling was announced as the winner of the Turner Prize at an event held at Eastbourne’s Winter Garden, winning £25,000 in prize money. The four shortlisted nominees for the prize have had their work on display at the Towner Gallery since September 2023. The Turner Prize was established in 1984 and is one of the world’s best-known prizes for the visual arts. It aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art.
Read more about this story here.
Gerard Fox
County Councillor
Hailsham New Town
Conservatives
