Adur District Council approves maximum council tax increase and £271,000 surplus for 2024/25

The council agreed the 2024/25 budget unanimously at a full council meeting on Thursday, February 22, after it was successfully amended by one of Labour’s eight amendments to it.

The council tax rose by the maximum allowed for the council, 2.99 per cent, which will see Adur’s average share of the annual council tax for a band D home increase from £324 to £333.72.

Some areas will see a higher than average council tax increase due to parish council tax, like Sompting and Lancing, and special expenses.

Increases of 4.99 per cent from West Sussex County Council and 5.42 per cent, from Sussex Police will also affect Adur resident’s council tax bill, seeing a total average annual increase from £2,197.32 in 2023/24, to £2,301.58 in 2024/25.

The approved budget amendment was approved 14 to 13 with support from Labour, the Grerens, the Independents and Ann Bridges (Con, Widewater) who decented from her party on the vote.

Officers said this would not change the overall budget amount, just move £1500 proposed for reserves to the communities and wellbeing budget instead.

Adur District Council Leader Neil Parkin (Con, Hillside) who has been leader of the council since 2000, said inflation and demands on services were main ongoing pressures for the council, but said Adur’s budget is a ‘success story’ compared to other Sussex councils.

He said: “Despite challenges Adur Council has achieved so much this year and through careful and prudent management, I am confident we can achieve even more in 24/25.

“Delivering in partnership with Worthing we now have a bike hire scheme in Adur with over 25 bikes, based in town centres, and we’re also working in partnership with the county council to install EV on-street charging points across Adur.

“Our commitment to improve the quality and quantity of housing here in Adur remains a top priority for this administration.

“There are 970 people on our council homes waiting list, six new council houses opened today in Sompting – with 14 new units created by the end of the financial year [and] a further 54 new units estimated for completion in 24/25.

“This is my 24th budget, and the 24th set of weak budget amendments from the main opposition – where is your vision and where is your alternative plan?”

He said impacts on services had been ‘minimised’ thanks to investments and savings through Adur and Worthing Joint Council’s ‘organisational redesign’, seeing several council officer posts removed or merged.

He also said the council was working with Hydrogen Sussex to become a ‘future provider’ of green hydrogen in Sussex.

Opposition Leader Jeremy Gardner (Lab, St Mary’s) claimed the leader’s speech outlined a ‘panglossian’ version of Adur, saying it painted an unrealistic and ‘comforting’ picture of the district which many residents did not resonate with.

He said: “It’s not a perfect life for many of our Adur Homes tenants, if you expect the water of our rivers and coasts to be free of sewage, if you cannot afford to buy a home or make progress on the social housing waiting list – or if you want a decent police presence or response, that’s the real Adur.

“The financial and social challenges facing this and all councils are clear, inflation, the cost of living crisis, the housing crisis.

“The government, on top of failing to get a grip of any of these issues, year on year reduces money coming to the councils and therefore to local communities.

“Government policy and funding leaves this council with little alternative but to set a 2.99 per cent council tax increase. We will vote for the 2.99 per cent increase but we will do so with a forced hand, knowing that services will dwindle further if we do not.”

He said this time last year the council housing waiting was around 870 people, and that the new Albion Street development promises in 2017 were ‘still not delivered’.

Green Leader Gabe Crisp (Green, St Nicholas) said Labour’s amendments lacked ‘boldness’ but the Greens would still support them, adding the number of people on the housing list was potentially higher than stated by the council leader, as it is 970 households and not people.

Independent Leader Joss Loader (Ind, Marine) said she ‘welcomed’ many of the administration’s capital projects, such as the Shoreham Harbour Walls project, and ‘sound financial management’ over the years allowing for a balanced budget.

Labour, the Greens and the Independents all thought the details of the organisation redesign were lacking, a point also criticised by the opposition members in Worthing Borough Council.

The budget shortfall in Adur is expected to reach around £2.8 million by the 2028/29 budget, which the council will have to meet to avoid effective bankruptcy.