Gubby blasts government

Having studied last week's announcement, Cllr Gubby said on Wednesday: "On November 28 the Government announced the grant settlement for local authorities.

"Across the country, the headline increase in grant support was 4.9%. The Government did say that there would be a minimum increase of grant support of 2.7% for Districts.

"However, in Rother we will receive a derisory sum'¦.just 0.17% or 11,000!

"As I said last week, it's laughable and the Government is treating us and the residents of Rother with complete contempt.

"The Government believes that we have received too much grant in the past and they are now clawing this back; leaving the council with a shortfall of 160,000 over what was expected.

"Unless further savings are found or services reduced, this gap represents the equivalent of an increase in Council Tax of 4.2% on its own '“ and the Government will cap us if we exceed an increase of 5%....

"Too much? Too much! We have the lowest Council Tax in East Sussex and are the leanest council in both East and West Sussex, yet we still deliver first-rate services.

"Over recent years we have had to deal with the introduction of various pieces of legislation without additional funding.

"These have had a big impact upon our staff and yet we have maintained and improved the quality of the provision of existing services.

"We want to support as many of the wishes of our residents as possible and we would like to invest further in service improvements.

"Next financial year will see the council phasing in kerbside recycling for all residents. This will require significant investment if it is to achieve the target increase in recycling and corresponding reduction in refuse going to landfill. In addition the council is investing in a number of new projects that will help regenerate the district and improve services residents receive.

"Despite all this, we recognise that we have many residents surviving on a very basic income, often only their pension.

"We have made a commitment to limit the increase in Rother's Council Tax next year to just 13pence per week (5%).

"I am confident that the prudent way we have developed our financial strategy will mean that we will maintain the high standard of the basic core services that our residents' value so much and we will try to find ways of improving others.

"We will achieve this through a continued focus on reducing costs and improving the efficiency of the council but we will also have to make some very difficult and sometimes unpopular choices.

"We can't spend what we don't have!"