Opposition abstains from voting as Arun sets maximum council tax

Members of the council approved the 2024/25 budget at a special full council meeting on Wednesday, February 21, which included a maximum council tax rise of 2.99 per cent, and a rise in social housing rents of 7.7 per cent.

Council tax in Arun district will also be affected by a 4.99 per cent increase agreed by West Sussex County Council and 5.42 per cent increase from Sussex Police, meaning a total annual average increase of £72.70 for a council tax band D home.

Roughly £3.5 million will be drawn from the council’s usable revenue reserves to cover the council’s forecast overspend in 2024/25, leaving the reserves around £17 million – with reserves expected to hit £400,000 by the 2028/29 budget due to forecast overspends.

Council leader Matt Stanley (LDem, Marine) said the council was in a ‘good’ financial position and had largely preserved frontline services, adding a move away from ‘consistent long term funding’ by central government was impacting Arun’s finances.

He said: “It’s no secret there are significant challenges impacting the finances of local government – coastal communities, such as ourselves, have been underfunded for years.

“During the journey of this budget, we’ve had more briefings, more meetings and more information than ever before, we’ve even embarked on a public consultation. We should all be proud of the level of transparency this budget has had.

“We’ve worked together to address internal culture and member behaviour, we’ve relaunched the essential review of our local plan and we’ve set up the Arun Flood Forum.

“We’re committed to the successful completion of the district’s Levelling Up projects, the Alexandra Theatre at Bognor Regis, which is the cornerstone of our new cultural strategy, and in Littlehampton the Seafront Project.”

Mr Stanley echoed the previous statement of the council’s Chief Financial Officer saying members would have to make some ‘difficult decisions’ in the future to improve the council’s financial position.

He also highlighted the council’s £8 million Bognor Regis Arcade development as a flagship brownfield housing project for the council – which could see 35 flats above the arcade.

The budget was approved by the council with 32 votes for and 19 abstentions, seeing support from every party in the chamber but the Conservatives, who voted to abstain on the budget.

Conservative leader Shaun Gunner (Con, Rustington East) said this was to allow members to vote with their ‘conscience’ on the budget, stating the opposition disagreed with the lack of transparency around the budget and with cuts made to frontline services.

He said: “Reducing car parking charges, ceasing investment in foreign banks, increasing community wardens, no cuts to services and, of course, freezing council tax are all Liberal Democrat pledges that are broken by this budget.

“We are getting just two per cent more in income from the council’s assets. The Regis Centre staying empty is costing us £99,000 a year – we are increasing expenditure on this building and Bognor Regis Town Hall, which is costing us £63,000 when most staff work from home half the week.

“For all councillors there are things in this budget that are very difficult. We all think we need to boost our local economy, and walking out of this building and seeing the empty shops in Littlehampton high street is surely evidence of that.

“Thanks to the 48 years of Conservative control of this council we have healthy reserves, and we’re not heading for bankruptcy.”

Mr Gunner also questioned the decision to reduce the size of the council’s economy team and reductions in the foreshores team and lifeguards’ hours in the district – claiming the Liberal Democrats broke their May 2023 election promises.

Labour leader Mike Northeast (Lab, Courtwick with Toddington) said an improved working culture in the council was helping officer recruitment, and the 2024/25 budget would help fix a ‘blackhole’ in the council’s finances.

He said: “It’s good to be part of a new way, a new way of prioritising Arun’s finances. This budget, unfortunately, is stuck a little in the past and in the past I mean having to deal with a massive £6 million blackhole that was in the council’s finances.

“Coupled with a toxic atmosphere that was causing us to lose good, experienced members of staff which also made it difficult, if not impossible, to recruit, resulting in having to employ expensive agency staff – meaning we became unapproachable, and seemingly uncaring, to many.

“Already there is a better atmosphere and we are starting to recruit good staff – we have dramatically reduced our reliance on expensive agency staff going from 50, to now just a little over 20.

Green’s leader Sue Wallsgrove (Green, Barnham) asked the council to remember to keep the environment in mind with all decision making, highlighting the Bersted Brooks project, and said the 7.7 per cent social housing rent increase was ‘unavoidable’.

Independent Group leader David Huntley (Ind, Pagham) said this was a ‘responsible’ budget given financial constraints on the council, saying once the council was on a ‘sound economic footing’ the council could do more of the ‘things we want to do’.