Why slash cash?

At a full council meeting on May 29, 2013, the council resolved that the ‘strategic allocations be determined in light of the outcome of a review of the strategic housing market assessment (SHMA)’, and ‘the sum of up to £100,000 be agreed as a supplementary estimate for the production of studies and other evidence to support the above. This is equivalent to £1.81 on a Band D property of the Council Tax’.

We now know that the review of the SHMA will cost £20,000 – so what is the balance of £80,000 for?

So far, Arun has refused to disclose exactly what ‘studies and other evidence’ this money is for.

In response to a public question, the leader Gill Brown, merely repeated the mantra that it is for ‘studies and other evidence’ but why won’t the council provide details? What studies? What evidence? What are they hiding?

A supplementary estimate for £100,000 constitutes major expenditure, particularly in these difficult times, when local authorities are making huge cuts in public expenditure, including service reductions, pay freezes, staff redundancies and, of course, withdrawing support from town and parish councils.

My concern is that this supplementary estimate and the decision it relates to have not been properly justified to members, staff and public.

Perhaps Arun’s Conservatives feel that they are so important that they do not need to explain what they are doing with our money, whilst they slash funding to our parish and town Councils?

Tony Dixon

Barons Close

Westergate