Speaking at the Council’s annual meeting, he outlined a programme for the next year which included raising educational standards, bringing more investment into the county, taking more care of the elderly and investing in highway maintenance.
He said that the Council’s performance had turned it from an authority rated as ‘weak’ to a ‘good’ one, but his ambition was to do more than this: "I want the East Sussex public, and our staff, to consider us an excellent authority because we deliver the best possible services at an affordable level of tax.”
The road to achieve this would be a tough one because the financial outlook for the County Council and local government in general, continued to look very harsh.
"We continue to have the sword of Damocles hanging over us. There is always a threat of an element of the Government’s grant (‘floor protection’) suddenly being removed.”
The implication of this would be that the Council would have to make savings of an extra £25 million each year. Even with this protection, the Council had received no money to cover inflation, growth in demand and investment in new services. The only area that had escaped so far was schools.
This financial straightjacket meant that East Sussex was already under severe pressure especially in the Council’s priority area, care of the elderly. The finances of the Health sector in East Sussex were also under pressure and this alone could undermine the Council’s improvement plans.
Despite the limitations, Councillor Jones said that East Sussex would press ahead with its work to improve educational standards which was at the heart of the Council’s vision to transform the local economy.
"Our work in Hastings and Bexhill is generating massive investment and is beginning to bear fruit. If we can take advantage of the huge opportunities offered by the new University Centre and Post 16 Review then we can raise educational attainment and skill levels as a solid foundation for economic regeneration.”
Over the next few years, Councillor Jones said he wanted to see the economic renaissance spread along the coast and into the rural heartlands, increasingly targeting Newhaven and the Eastbourne/Hailsham area aided by the construction of the Willingdon Chord rail link.
Councillor Jones emphasised the Council’s determination over the next year to continue top deliver quality services to the public and to encourage innovation and regeneration in the County while remaining cost effective and efficient.
Reference:
04/163/RK
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