No cuts to services but maximum council tax rise as West Sussex County Council balances its budget

The news was shared during a meeting of the full council on Friday (February 16).

In January, it was feared that £3.6m would have to be taken from reserves – but the announcement that West Sussex would receive £6.931m as its final Local Government Finance Settlement changed things.

But that money would never be enough to meet all the council’s needs.

As such, £15.7m of ‘efficiency savings’ were approved, as was a council tax increase by the maximum allowed, 4.99 per cent.