East Sussex County Council approves budget cuts of £5m

A cash-strapped council is to cut more than £5.1m from its services after agreeing its budget for 2019-20.

East Sussex County Council approved a council tax rise of 2.99%, with details of where the cuts will fall to be decided in the coming year.

Proposals include scrapping the meals-on-wheels subsidy and a review of care packages for vulnerable residents.

Councillor David Elkin, lead member for resources, said "difficult decisions" would have to be taken.

In its Core Offer document last year, the Conservative-controlled authority set out a list of services it could provide as a "bare minimum".

It is thought there could also be up to 130 job losses within the authority as a result of the budget.

Addressing a meeting of the full council, Mr Elkin said: "We regret having to budget these proposals but they are necessary due to reducing funding and increasing costs.

"To our residents and communities, I say, we will continue to stand up for East Sussex to be a voice to represent you and your interests and focus our attention on the services local people most need in the county."

The savings - against a £375m budget for the coming year - are lower than first estimated after the council received government money as part of its Fair Funding Review to take care of things like social care.

However, Mr Elkin said the council would still keep up the pressure for more funding, while conceding the budget brought "a bit of certainty in very uncertain times".

The Conservative proposals were adopted following a majority vote, with a Labour amendment - to reduce the cuts by £1.13m through reserves - defeated despite support from some independent members.

Trevor Webb, leader of the Labour group, said the decision was "appalling", and that its amendment had been "fair in the circumstances".

The Liberal Democrats declined to support either proposal, with leader David Tutt calling the budget "a betrayal of our responsibility to the people who elected us to represent them".

The council has warned that even with savings it will still face a funding gap of £21m by April 2022.