JOBS will go and fewer roads will be gritted as East Sussex County Council (ESCC) struggles to cope with a predicted £54 million hole in this year’s budget.
Cabinet members have received the latest updates on the authority’s finances and agreed extra savings totalling £3.1 million – on top of the £3.2 million from ongoing savings that will be realised in 2026/27.
The final budget decisions will be made by ESCC full council this month but the new cuts will affect 150 jobs and cover a range of services – including saving £275,000 by reducing the amount of roads treated in bad weather.
But the council, in a dire financial situation with depleted reserves (savings), admits these additional cuts “go nowhere near meeting the shortfall” and it has called on Govt for emergency support to help it balance its budget. It has previously said it faces its most challenging financial situation ever.
And there remains an unanswered question over how the remaining £50million deficit will be addressed.
And despite the financial crisis, ESCC still maintains a countywide single authority covering the whole of East Sussex is the best and most efficient structure for local government in the county (see page 16).
ESCC which has had to save more than £120million since 2010 under previous Conservative Governments, says new Labour Government reforms will leave people in East Sussex worse off because more money is being directed to other local authorities.
“The rural character and elderly population of East Sussex are not recognised in these reforms which were intended to be fairer, but which overlook the growing needs of the county.” It says.
The council says there is higher demand for services, more complex needs amongst those seeking support, and increased costs, particularly in children’s services and adult social care.
To save the extra £3.1m proposals include staffing restructures in support services in Adult Social Care, withdrawal of funding from the integrated night service at the end of the current contract, and a reduction in project support capacity.
In Children’s Services, a review of staffing in the education team will seek efficiencies and there is a proposal to stop payments for term time university accommodation for care leavers in favour of alternative support.
A review of the current archive service, changes to back-office provision in the library and information service, and a review of library stock are being proposed for the Communities, Economy and Transport teams. Reductions in staffing budgets and the reduction of property costs achieved by moving coroner courts into Westfield House, County Hall will also contribute to the proposed savings target.
The new proposals, should they be progressed, would affect 150 staff posts across the council – equivalent to 100 full time posts.