West Sussex County Council Plans 4.99 Per Cent Council Tax Rise

West Sussex County Council is planning to increase its share of council tax by 4.99 per cent for the 2026/27 financial year.

The proposal, discussed at a scrutiny meeting on Wednesday (28 January), would see the county council’s portion of a Band D bill rise from £1,800.54 to £1,890.36.

Council tax currently accounts for around 77 per cent of the authority’s funding.

While the council is on course to balance its budget in 2026/27 without using its reserves, financial forecasts show growing pressures in the years that follow.

Figures for 2027/28 predict a budget gap of £18.1 million, ahead of the county council being replaced by one or more new unitary authorities as part of Local Government Reorganisation.

Longer-term projections up to 2030/31 indicate a cumulative funding shortfall of £72.5 million to maintain county-level services.

Chief Executive Leigh Whitehouse warned of increasing demand on council services outstripping available resources.

He said the council faced a “fundamental challenge” caused by the gap between rising service demand and funding levels, adding that without decisive action the authority risked ongoing budget overspends becoming unsustainable.

The day-to-day cost of running more than 300 council services is forecast to be £2.32 billion in 2026/27.

This is expected to reduce to £882.9 million after accounting for £1.4 billion in government grants and income from fees and charges.

The proposed budget represents an increase of £34.7 million on 2025/26, largely driven by rising costs and demand for services.

Mr Whitehouse said that although the county council is due to be abolished in just over two years, the services it provides will continue in a new structure and must remain financially sustainable.

The council also faces a loss of £10 million a year over the next three years under the Government’s council tax equalisation scheme, which redistributes funding from authorities deemed to be better off to those under greater financial pressure.

Cabinet member for finance Jeremy Hunt said the lost funding could otherwise have been invested in front-line services, including social care and highways.

Final reports on the 2026/27 budget and council tax proposals are due to go before a meeting of full council on 20 February for approval.