Councillor Peter Jones, Leader of the Council, said “We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to stimulate the local economy, benefiting residents and businesses, made possible by our careful planning in past years. We are one of the biggest organisations in East Sussex and we will be considering plans to spend £254 million on development projects over the next four years. This totals nearly £500 million when we include other contributions, for example government grants.”
Some of the Council's major new and ongoing projects are:
- £15 million for superfast broadband – to more than match the £10.6 million Government grant, with an early focus on rural areas that have low speeds or no broadband at all
- a further £24 million for the Bexhill Hastings Link Road (subject to Department of Transport contribution) – to improve the economy by giving access to land for business and housing
- £10 million investment to ensure continued high quality services in the face of rising numbers of children being referred and in care
- £15 million for school improvements, including £5 million for Etchingham Primary School replacement, £1 million to improve school sports halls that can be used by the community in Robertsbridge, Hastings and Uckfield and £9 million for the new academies in Eastbourne and Hastings
- £13 million towards the Keep, the state-of-the-art archive centre
- £7.5 million for library buildings including £6 million for Hastings and £1 million for Newhaven to improve and expand
- £7 million for vulnerable adults and older people including £5 million in Seaford for older people and supported living flats and a new library for the community, £1 million in Hailsham for housing for older people and people with learning disabilities, and £1 million in Bexhill for housing for older people
- £60 million on roads maintenance, upgrades and related work.
In the budget for services, the Council has to save at least £56 million over the next three years, on top of the £37 million saved this year. For next year (2012/13), £19 million of savings are needed to cope with both reduced funding from government and increasing costs such as support for elderly people and vulnerable children and inflationary costs on road maintenance. But even after savings the Council will still be spending over £360 million next year on services which benefit all residents.
Councillor Keith Glazier, Lead Cabinet Member responsible for finance, said: “To manage these reductions we are concentrating on what our residents and businesses need, making sure we do the right things in the best way and working closely with our partners. Finding different ways of providing services and making back office savings will reduce the impact on people in East Sussex.
“We know how difficult household budgets are and so, for the second year running, we are considering a proposal to use the special Government grant to enable us to freeze council tax.”
If the proposals are agreed by Cabinet, the budget will be considered by a full meeting of the Council on Tuesday 7 February 2012.
Reference:
3479
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East Sussex County Council