council tax shock

The county's final budget meeting on February 14 will be asked to approve levying a precept of around 264.614 million, and a Band D council tax of 859.32.

County treasurer Helen Kilpatrick says in her report: "The scale of increase results mainly from the very large gap between unavoidable commitments faced by services and the increase provided by Government through the Formula Spending Share.

"The redistribution of resources through the Government's new finance regime means that similar percentage increases in spending result in a larger council tax increase in West Sussex than for many counties in other parts of England.

"This position is mirrored across the South-East and confidential soundings suggest that similarly steep increases are likely in most neighbouring counties."

West Sussex council tax payers will in addition have to pay their district council precept, which in the case of Worthing will be a total of more than 32 million, plus the Sussex Police Authority precept.

The Herald has heard that the police precept increase could be as much as 40 per cent.

Worthing Borough Council has already warned that its own precept increase will be around 7.5 per cent.

See Worthing Herald January 23 for full story.