Council tax hike on the cards for Lewes district

Councillors at Lewes District Council have agreed to the rise of 9.6p a week (£5 a year), which, it says, will ensure the council can continue to deliver essential services, while helping businesses and the community recover from the economic impact of Covid-19.

Zoe Nicholson, deputy leader of the district council and cabinet member for finance, said: “The pandemic has had a devastating impact on so much of life, most tragically the loss of loved ones, while many still face a long journey to fully recover from the coronavirus.

“Jobs have also been lost and incomes reduced with inevitable consequences for family finances.

“With vaccinations reaching more people the outlook is improved, but the time when we can fully put the pandemic behind us, it still a long way off.

“For these reasons, and notwithstanding unprecedented pressures on our budget, I am very pleased that we have been able to limit the increase in the council tax to just 9.6p per week, mindful of course that many people will pay less than this.

“This budget means we can continue to focus on building a sustainable local economy that retains wealth locally, addresses inequalities and underpins our work to become a carbon net zero authority.”

Cllr Nicholson said efficiencies, savings and the limited use of reserves have made it possible to deliver a balanced budget for 2021/22 and confirm a major capital programme focused on using the council’s financial power to stimulate the local economy and tackle the climate emergency.

Meanwhile, a £70m investment will bring forward more social and affordable homes in the district that boast higher sustainability credentials and greater build quality, in tandem with increased requirements on contractors to utilise more environmentally friendly construction methods.

And £16m will be invested in regeneration projects to boost the local economy, £6m on maintaining assets and improving leisure facilities and £10m on clean energy schemes.

Cllr Nicholson said: “We no longer receive any government grants and our emergency Covid-19 funding falls short of what was promised by the Secretary of State, who told leaders like myself all over the county to do whatever it takes during lockdown to deliver essential services, like collecting our bins and providing support for the homeless and vulnerable.

“The government also proposed that we used council tax to fill the financial hole created by Covid-19.

“No one wants to increase council tax, even by a little bit, but we are also at the same time increasing the support to those on the lowest incomes by providing a 90 per cent discount on the council tax, meaning their council tax bills should reduce.”

Seventy-one per cent of council tax is paid to East Sussex County Council, while Lewes District Council receives 15 per cent, Sussex Police, nine per cent and East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, five per cent.

The 3.49 per cent increase planned by East Sussex County Council would mean its portion of a Band D bill increases by £52.02 a year.

“Council income is significantly down and costs have spiralled as demand for our services has shot up,” added Cllr Nicholson.

“Yet, despite this and the on-going uncertainty, this is a strong budget for recovery, renewal and ethical investments in all our futures.

“I know that the many residents will support our continued delivery of essential services and whilst they might be disappointed with the lack of government support, they will understand such a small increase in the council tax.”

The budget will be considered by full council on February 22.

This week, Lewes MP Maria Caulfield welcomed a proposed council tax freeze put forward by the Conservatives on Lewes District Council.

The Conservative proposed freeze will now be looked at by the cabinet made up of Lib Dems, Green, Labour and Independent councillors, the MP said.

She added that she hoped the Lib Dem run coalition on the district council will agree with the Conservatives and freeze council tax.

In response, Cllr Nicholson said: “It’s astonishing that Maria should be taking this view given that her own chancellor in his spending review speech makes it clear that councils like ours and Conservative-run East Sussex County Council have to put up council tax to balance the books.

“The chancellor made it clear he was not able to deliver on his promises to cover all our emergency covid costs.

“The MP wants a freeze on the council tax, and at the same time her Conservative colleagues on East Sussex County Council are introducing an eye watering increase of 3.49 per cent, that’s a massive £52 a year on Band D bill.

“Does Maria Caulfield support East Sussex County Council’s huge hike in the council tax or does she want them to freeze it too?

“Or would she prefer the county council to limit the increase to less than 10p a week, £5 a year, as we are proposing to do at the district council.

“We are doing this despite the government stopping all our grant funding and failing to meet all our emergency Covid costs as they promised.

“The funding they have provided has fallen short of us being able to balance the books.”