East Sussex County Council To Consider New Measures As £54m Budget Gap Looms

East Sussex County Council is preparing to consider a fresh round of savings as it faces a projected £54 million budget deficit.

The authority said the proposals — which will go before cabinet on Tuesday — would save around £3.1 million, in addition to £6.3 million already planned for the next financial year.

However, the council warned that these savings would go “nowhere near” closing the expected shortfall.

Run by a minority Conservative administration, the council is still waiting to learn how much funding it will receive from central government, with an announcement expected later this month.

Up to 150 staff members, equivalent to around 100 full-time posts, could be affected by the latest plans. Proposed changes include:

• A review of staffing within the children’s services education team

• Restructuring roles in adult social care

• Ending term-time university accommodation payments for care leavers, replaced with alternative forms of support

• Moving the coroner’s court into County Hall to reduce property costs

The council said ongoing pressures from an ageing population, higher service demand and the challenges of serving a large rural county were adding to its financial difficulties.

A report to cabinet states:

“We continue to experience sustained higher demand for services, more complex needs among those seeking support, and increased costs — particularly in children’s services and adult social care — beyond what was forecast when planning for the current year.”

The council also said it believes its funding needs have not been fully recognised nationally, claiming more money has been directed to other areas.

Further details on government funding levels are expected later in December.