COUNCIL leaders are set to consider new savings proposals necessary to start addressing a predicted £54 million deficit in next year’s budget.

As part of its robust and ongoing planning, East Sussex County Council’s Cabinet members will receive the latest updates on the authority’s finances at its meeting on Tuesday, December 16.

The report includes new savings proposals totalling a little under £3.1 million, on top of the £6.3 million from ongoing savings that will be realised in 2026/27.

Yet it is clear that the remaining, limited savings which can still be considered go nowhere near meeting the shortfall.

Detailed funding for councils will not be published until later this month, but Government reforms will leave people in East Sussex worse off because more money is being directed to other local authorities.

The rural character and elderly population of East Sussex are not recognised in these reforms which were intended to be fairer, but which overlook the growing needs of the county.

The report says: “It is clear that we continue to experience sustained higher demand for services, more complex needs amongst those seeking support, and increased costs, particularly in children’s services and adult social care, beyond our best estimates at the time of planning for the current year.”

Despite the county council’s best and ongoing efforts to highlight needs of the county, recent funding announcements by Government offer “no positive news for East Sussex”.

The national Budget Statement offered no new funding for local authorities to meet these pressures and the long-awaited Fair Funding Review failed to fully recognise the challenges East Sussex is facing.

As the council continues to keep day to day spend as low as possible, depleted reserves and increasing pressures on vital services means potential new savings have to be considered.

In Adult Social Care, proposals include staffing restructures in support services, withdrawal of funding from the integrated night service at the end of the current contract, and a reduction in project support capacity.

In Children’s Services, a review of staffing in the education team will seek efficiencies and there is a proposal to stop payments for term time university accommodation for care leavers in favour of alternative support.

A review of the current archive service, changes to back-office provision in the library and information service, and a review of library stock are being proposed for the Communities, Economy and Transport teams.

Reductions in staffing budgets and the reduction of property costs achieved by moving coroner courts into Westfield House, County Hall will also contribute to the proposed savings target.

The new proposals, should they be progressed, would affect 150 staff posts across the council – equivalent to 100 full time posts.

East Sussex County Council has begun discussions with the Government about what Exceptional Financial Support might be open to it to help the authority set the balanced budget it is legally required to do, although this will not replace the need to make further savings.

The meeting of the Cabinet takes place at 10am on Tuesday, December 16 and will be available to watch online at Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 16th December, 2025, 10.00 am | East Sussex County Council

Ends.