Conservative budget passed as leader says ‘we’re not out of the woods yet’

The budget for 2022-2023 was approved at a full council meeting which stretched until just past 11 pm on Tuesday (February 22).

It sets out how WBC will continue to provide key services, such as rubbish collection and accommodation, as well as how it will achieve its overarching goals in ‘Platforms for our Places’ and its plan for recovering from the pandemic known as ‘And Then’.

A net total of £13.7 million is required for the revenue budget.

In December, a budget report showed a deficit of more than £1.1 million.

But, since then, £1.1 million in savings have been made, meaning the council will be able to balance its books.

Some measures in the budget – and in future years’ budgets – will rely on a council tax increase of two per cent.

This was due to be approved on Tuesday but Storm Eunice saw a West Sussex County Council meeting cancelled, meaning the rise can only be approved on March 1.

The budget meeting was adjourned to allow for this.

‘How we live and how we work has changed’

Council leader Kevin Jenkins (Con, Gaisford) said: “This time last year we were discussing our annual council budget remotely using online technology, tonight is the full lifting of covid restrictions.

“As we all know, not everything is the same – how we work and how we live has changed.

“As we near closing the 2021-22 financial year, we are still facing a number of challenges.

“But our position remains good with a current overspend currently showing at £14,000 – remarkable in the current situation given the journey we’ve been through.

“Our planned work has continued and the vast majority of our projects are on track and many have accelerated.”

‘Not out of the woods yet’

The leader hastened to add ‘we are not out of the woods yet’ with the pandemic impacting on council income from fees and charges and government schemes making up for lost income coming to an end.

The council’s plan is to increase income in coming years through investing in property and commercial services.

“The human impact of the covid pandemic is clear, not more so than in our homelessness as case loads continue to rise,” the leader added.

“As we all learn to live with covid, we recognise that families and businesses are facing their own cost of living pressures and in this budget we set out how we can help.”

Proposed hardship help

Mr Jenkins said the council will invest in more homes to decrease the cost of emergency and temporary accommodation to the council and provide much needed housing.

Meanwhile, a £100,000 discretionary hardship fund will provide support in addition to that announced by the government to help offset the rising cost of living.

There will also be a total budget of £1.9 million for health and wellbeing in recognition of the ‘continued impact of the pandemic’.

Regeneration proposals

Nearly £300,000 will assist with long term plans for the lido and Brooklands improvements will continue, said the leader.

The council lost out on £187,000 in car parking income due to the pandemic and fees will be changed between March 28 and the end of the year to help address this and ‘to assist visitors and shoppers in the short term’.

Mr Jenkins said 8,502 applications were made for covid grants last year and the council helped to distribute £39.6 million pounds.

The leader restated the council’s commitment to develop Union Place and long-stalled Teville Gate which he said is driven by ‘the need to provide affordable homes’.

Protecting the ‘Goring Gap’ and Brooklands open spaces remain a priority.

“Worthing is changing, it’s changing fast, and it’s changing for the better under this Conservative administration,” said the leader.

Executive member for resources, Elizabeth Sparkes,  said: “Setting the council’s budget is challenging in normal times, but when considering that the best part of the last two years has been spent responding to a global pandemic, the challenge really couldn’t have been greater.

“Despite this being a hugely challenging time, we have been able to continue with our provision of services to residents while still investing in this council.

“The council must now be self-funding and we have continued to invest in key strategic areas such as commercialisation and strategic asset management.”

Labour puts forward alternative budget items

The council’s Labour group proposed eight amendments to the budget but they were voted down.

They included an extra £100,000 for the hardship fund; a review of council housing at £20,000; a big listening and big clean up initiative with an increased budget for community events at £81,500; £50,000 for community health education and equality and diversity work; and £30,000 for urban eco design planning.

Labour group leader Beccy Cooper (Lab, Marine) said: “We are confident that elections this May will deliver a historic Labour-led council in Worthing, and that’s just a few months away.

“There is enormous enthusiasm and capacity across our communities to get involved with the council and the services it provides and this was seen at its best during the pandemic.

“But all too often residents told us just how hard this is in practice- they can’t put a bench in their local park, campaign to encourage children to walk to their local school, or green their local high street.

“Where there should be green community friendly spaces, we too often find concrete and dirty walls.”

The opposition leader said an ‘inequality gap is growing at an alarming and unacceptable rate’ and she called for more support for those in need.

Amendments ‘lacking in detail’ say Lib Dems

The Lib Dems declined to support the amendments and said they were ‘disappointed’ Labour did not approach them.

“Liberal Democrats, whenever possible, will not condone further unnecessary tax burdens on already hard-pressed residents and we would only use our reserves for essentials or emergencies,” said Hazel Thorpe (LDem, Tarring).

“We have not put in any amendments this year as we have already talked with the officers and we believe that the decisions should have been thoroughly worked out, and impacts known, before bringing them to full council.

“We have considered the amendments on the table – we do tend to agree with the philosophy but find them lacking in detail.”

But Mrs Thorpe did support the idea of more hardship funding and called on the council to give more control to residents.