Adur council staff praised for ‘outstanding’ work during pandemic

During a meeting of the executive on Tuesday (February 2) members were told that, despite everything that has happened in the past year, the council was in a ‘very good position to set a balanced budget’ in 2021/22.

Thanking staff for their ‘staggering’ efforts, Neil Parkin said: “When you consider, apart from doing their bit to fight the pandemic, they come in with this balanced budget as well.”

In December, the budget gap was sitting at £485,000, with plans to plug it thanks to a number of small cuts, savings and improved income totalling £561,000.

With council tax set to rise by just under two per cent, that leaves a surplus of around £78,000. 

The budget includes a number of key investments.

There will be £81,000 for the first year’s payment to buy New Salts Farm, between Lancing and Shoreham, which the council said would be ‘preserved and enhanced for generations to come’.

Another £53,000 makes up the first year’s payment for Pad Farm – 45-acres of arable farmland on the western banks of the River Adur, which will be returned to salt marsh, to encourage biodiversity and to enhance the site’s role in flood defence plans.

Then there’s £43,000 for the Gigabit Project to install public Wi-Fi into town centres.

Mr Parkin added: “We’re not sitting still resting on our laurels or disappearing into our bunker and waiting for it to blow over.

“We’re actually still doing things. Well done all involved.”

Deputy leader Angus Dunn agreed.

He said: “Some weeks ago we were pretty much accused of being too ambitious with our plans for the district and there was some criticism about how we were going to pay for this and maybe we should scale things down.

“Well, this report sets out very clearly how we are going to achieve those ambitious plans. It is not going to be easy at all and we’re not going to be complacent over it.

“But we’re in the right place and we’re going in the right direction.”

The 1.98 per cent council tax rise proposed will see a Band D bill rise by £6.03 – 12p per week – to £311.40.

On Band C homes, the average rise will be £5.36, taking the bill to £276.80.

The budget and council tax increase will go to a meeting of the full council for approval on Thursday February 18.