Public toilets opening times may change in Eastbourne and garden waste collection cost could go up

Among the cost cutting recommendations is a plan to reduce the level of maintenance in the town’s parks, cut maintenance on the seafront for a limited time, increase the cost of garden waste collections by £5 a year, reduce the frequency of street cleansing and changing the opening hours of public toilets.

And small grants to voluntary and community organisations are stopping fior one year.

The plans are set to be discussed by Eastbourne council’s decision making cabinet committee on Wednesday (May 26).

A council spokesperson said the authority was still struggling financially in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and more savings would have to be made to balance the books.

The spokesperson said, “The scale of the financial challenges which are likely to be experienced by the council has meant that additional savings would be required to address the budget gap, particularly in 2022/2023.

“These are an initial set of additional service and organisational changes that cabinet is asked to consider in order to address those challenges.

The list in full includes a plan to make some changes to the council’s events programming, both within Devonshire Park – the Congress and Devonshire Park theatres – and outdoor events as well proceeding only with events that do not require council subsidy; adjust the bulky waste collection service to remove a limited number of free collections; reduce the frequency of street cleansing, in some localities, while maintaining a focus on priority areas; reduce the level of some aspects of grounds maintenance in some parks and open spaces; change the opening hours of some public conveniences, prioritising availability during peak visitor periods, and reduce the number of facilities with attendants; reduce the level of ward grants for each ward from £10k to £5k in 21/22 and to £3k in 22/23 and suspend the small grants programme to voluntary and community organisations and the disability inclusion fund grants programme for 21/22 and 22/23 and stop council tax reduction for second homes.