Representatives from parish and town councils were invited to Uckfield Civic Centre on Friday 23 July to talk about the key transport and environment issues affecting the county at the moment.
More than 60 people heard presentations from officers on the County Council's winter maintenance policy, how community transport is being developed, climate change and flooding.
Later they took part in interactive sessions where they had the opportunity to talk about any issues specifically affecting their communities.
County Council Leader, Councillor Peter Jones, told delegates we are facing some challenging and difficult times financially.
He said: "Our budget this year has been reduced as part of the Government's plan to tackle the national deficit and all the indications are that the next three or four years are going be toughest for local government for many years.
"We want to protect the extra money we are putting into improving the quality of the road network, especially given the damage caused by the severe winter weather earlier in the year and the high priority residents place on road improvements. That means we won't be able to deliver all the road safety schemes, such as pedestrian crossings, that your communities have been asking for."
But he said this tight financial climate would provide opportunities for the County Council and parish and town councils to work together.
"We may be able to deliver a high proportion of these schemes if external funding can be found, so we will be asking parishes if they can make a contribution. This will give us the chance to strengthen our relationships and work together to help communities and residents help themselves."
Councillor Matthew Lock, Lead Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, added: "This will be a difficult time and we want to continue to work with our town and parish councils to see how we can best make a difference."
Reference:
PR 2902
Contact the press team
East Sussex County Council