Call to save day centres with election savings

Opposition leaders in East Sussex have said money saved from the cancellation of county council elections should be used to save day centres for elderly and disabled people from closure.

Plans to close four specialist care centres to save £1m will be decided upon later when councillors meet to agree next year's budget.

Families have said the centres are a 'lifeline' and keep families together by preventing the need for residential care.

East Sussex County Council's Conservative leaders have said this budget is the "most difficult set of financial circumstances" it has ever experienced.

County council leader Keith Glazier said it would not be right to make a decision before the results of a public consultation on the closure of the day centres have been analysed and reported to cabinet on 25 February.

He added: "There is no election expenses line in the budget so therefore we would be taking away out of our already much depleted reserves."

The leaders of the Liberal Democrat and Independent Democrats groups will table a joint amendment proposing to redirect £1.65m that was budgeted for elections this May.

Plans to postpone county council elections due to take place in East and West Sussex were given the go-ahead by the government last Wednesday as Sussex was accepted onto its devolution priority programme.

They say taking account of around £130,000 already spent by borough and district councils, who are responsible for running elections, that leaves £1.52m available.

Liberal Democrat group leader, Councillor David Tutt, said: "One of the county council's priorities is to look after the most vulnerable people in our community and these are the most vulnerable people."

About 230 people currently use the Phoenix Centre, Lewes, and Milton Grange, Eastbourne, which care for the elderly and those with dementia, plus Linden Court, in Eastbourne, and Hookstead, in Crowborough, which care for adults with learning disabilities.

East Sussex County Council has said it needs to save £13.5m , draw on £12m of reserves and increase council tax by 4.99% to balance the books.

Leaders say adult social care accounted for 48% of its budget last year and costs are "going through the roof".

The East Sussex County Council budget meeting begins at 10:00 GMT.

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