 On Monday 26th February, Alliance-led Rother District Council passed a sound and responsible budget despite huge financial uncertainty. As councils up and down the country face huge economic pressures due to lack of Government investment and recent inflationary pressures, it is no wonder that many are facing the risk of bankruptcy.
Rother, meanwhile, have managed to survive these pressures along with the lasting economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the large increase in the cost of Temporary Accommodation. This is thanks to the Council's assured 'Fit for the Future' financial resilience plans which set a course to eliminate the deficit entirely from the Council's budget over the coming years. The deficit was originally circa £3m pa when the Rother Alliance took control of the Council in 2019 and for 2024/25 it is just £0.2m. Total savings of £3.1m were included within the provisional budget figures based on the 'Fit for Future' plans.
Due to the economic situation and in order to achieve these savings, tough decisions had to be made. This included an increase in certain discretionary services like bulky waste removal and Garden Waste bin collections to bring them in line with other neighbouring authorities. Councillors also voted not to accept an increase in their allowances, despite independent recommendations.
The Council were also able to deliver some positive improvements within the budget, including the re-instatement of a full Council Tax Reduction Scheme, relieving Council Tax pressures for struggling households and an improved Housing Allocations Policy to better address the local need for homes within the District. A review will also be undertaken to ensure any capital projects remain economically viable and deliverable.
Rother's portion of the Council Tax precept remains far cheaper than ESCC's budget, or even just the Social Care precept, and yet the Council continues to deliver services from refuse collections to planning and lots more. Value for money.
You can watch the meeting recording and view the associated documents here.
Average (Band D) Council Tax Totals 2023/24 vs 2024/25
2023/24 (£) | 2024/25 (£) | % Increase (£) | |
Rother District Council | 198.60 | 204.54 | 2.99% |
East Sussex County Council | 1,471`.14 | 1,521.81 | 3.44% |
Social Care (ESCC) | 222.66 | 256.50 | 15.20% |
East Sussex Fire & Rescue | 104.37 | 107.49 | 2.99% |
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner | 239.91 | 252.91 | 5.42% |
(+ Parish/Town Council Precept)