Olympic Torch won’t burn a hole in Arun council tax bills

Arun District Council’s cabinet has recommended to next week’s full council meeting there should be no increase in the authority’s share of the tax.

In spite of the standstill budget, the council has found up to £20,000 to spend on celebrations based around the Olympic Torch relay passing through the district on July 16.

The torch will travel through Bognor, North and South Bersted, Aldingbourne and Arundel, although not Littlehampton, en-route to Brighton that day.

Arun councillors will be asked at their meeting on Tuesday (February 21) to include the extra spending.

Supporting the idea at Monday’s (February 13) cabinet meeting, council leader Gillian Brown said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We should support the Olympic torch relay event.”

Cabinet member and East Preston councillor Ricky Bower said: “This will be money well spent. It will give an opportunity to promote the area while the torch is here. It can only be to the benefit of the district and nationally as well.”

The money, if approved next week, will come from the council’s general budget and have no impact on Arun’s share of the overall council tax bill from April, which is set to remain at £161.37 for a typical band D property for the third year in a row.

Added to Arun’s 11 per cent portion of council tax bills will be charges for the county council, Sussex Police and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, plus town and parish councils.

Alan Peach, Arun’s head of finance, said the council would be going into the next financial year with reserves of just over £10m, to leave the authority in a strong position for what would be a very tough year to follow.

“Having a reasonable balance is going to be very important as we go into 2013,” he said.

Mrs Brown agreed: “We are in a very strong position compared to other councils. We are benefiting from the stable financial strategy we have had for a number of years. We are not lurching from budget to budget.”

Cabinet members expressed concerns about the future of Littlehampton harbour and Arun’s contribution to its running costs.

Councillor Norman Dingemans said: “We need to ensure we can move more quickly towards a leisure port and get this under control.”

Deputy leader Roger Elkins, who is also a member of the harbour board, said: “We are limited to the size of vessel Littlehampton is able to accommodate but, with this financial situation, boating is quite an expensive hobby and to see growth in that in the current times is difficult.”