‘Historic occasion’ sees first ever Lib Dem budget at Arun approved

The authority’s share of council tax is set to rise by 2.73 per cent, the equivalent of an extra £5 a year for a Band D property.

This increase, alongside the use of £671,000 of reserves to balance the budget in 2020/21 and a number of projects to meet new strategic targets were all criticised by the Conservatives on Wednesday night.

At the end of the debate, Lib Dem council leader James Walsh suggested after almost half a century in power the Tories ‘cannot live with being in opposition’.

He pointed out that previous Conservative administrations at Arun, as confirmed by officers, had occasionally balanced budgets by using reserves, while the council tax rise proposed was lower than that set by the Tories last year.

Arun’s share of council tax is small compared to the Conservative-controlled West Sussex County Council with its precept increasing by 3.99 per cent this year, more than £50 extra a year for a Band D household.

Dr Walsh described how the council was investing in Littlehampton town centre, public toilets, play areas, disabled facility grants and more affordable housing. The Lib Dems would also be bringing forward plans for the Sunken Gardens and Place St Maur in Bognor Regis.

He also criticised the county council for withdrawing significant funding from Arun in several areas while grants from central Government had all but disappeared.

He called the meeting a ‘historic occasion’ as the first time the Lib Dems had set a budget since Arun was created in 1973.

In challenging financial circumstances he called it a  ‘extremely positive budget’ where they were exploring new income generating sources to put the council on a more sustainable footing long term.

But Terry Chapman, leader of the Conservative group, felt the Lib Dems had not shown any evidence of a proper budget planning process for known reductions in Government and county council funding. He also suggested Bognor Regis was ‘invisible’ in the budget.

He added: “What the budget demonstrates is an absolute lack of planning for what was clearly going to happen.”

Paul Dendle (Con, Arundel and Walberton) criticised the proposed council tax rise, adding: “This administration is doing less with more. Can we trust this administration? I do not think we can.”

Meanwhile Andy Cooper (Con, Angmering and Findon) questioned spending on a new commercial manager, while David Edwards (Con, Felpham East) suggested if they continued to use reserves at this rate to balance the books the council would be insolvent by the next election.

Grant Roberts (Con, Arundel and Walberton) criticised the budget as ‘ridiculous and irresponsible’, while labelling a number of ‘vanity’ projects as ‘wasteful expenditure’.

Shaun Gunner (Con, Rustington East) claimed spending on agency staff and external consultants were both on the rise and suggested the strategic projects ‘will not make a difference to the lives of people in this district’.

But Matt Stanley, cabinet member for technical services, argued the budget had been put in place by a district council ‘ravaged by county council cuts’.

Efficiencies and cost cutting was only one element of financial planning and the Lib Dems wanted to invest to generate new revenue streams. This was one of the reasons for the new commercial manager post.

Gill Yeates, cabinet member for community wellbeing, pointed out that one of the so called vanity projects was £194,000 to start a review of the local plan, which had been mandated by the planning inspector if housing targets were not met in two consecutive years.

Isabel Thurston (Green, Barnham) welcomed plans to invest in new council homes and the new sustainability officer to drive forward a climate change action plan.

Tony Dixon, leader of the independent group, welcomed the new planned commercial activity and suggested the previous Tory administration had ‘rejected borrowing as a way to fund worthwhile projects’.

He praised the new Littlehampton Wave leisure centre, but at the same time acknowledged it had ‘depleted’ the council’s reserves. In Bognor Regis there had been a lack of ‘substantive regeneration projects’. He added: “We need to improve social and economic wellbeing in the area. Cosmetic changes are not enough, we need to attract visitors to improve spending in the local economy.”

Cllr Dixon  continued: “We are still managing to make some headway on behalf of the local community.”

Fellow independent Hugh Coster welcomed the new commercial manager post as he thought it would encourage ‘first class business enterprise within our culture’ alongside providing great services.

Francis Oppler, deputy leader and cabinet member for corporate support, also contrasted the council tax increases at Arun with those at the county council.

But he also described it as a ‘regressive tax’ and believed in a more equitable system, adding: “We are mindful that many of our residents have fixed incomes and any increase is a struggle for many.”

Cllr Oppler also criticised the Tories for ’15 years of dither and delay’ over  the regeneration of Bognor Regis.

The budget was approved after two hours of debate by 25 votes to eight with 12 abstentions.