Adur Labour leader Lee Cowen replied to Conservative budget plans for the council with a call for economic devolution. He said power should be returned from Whitehall to local authorities and communities.

He said: “This is a budget shaped by a shambles of a Government”. Thirteen years of Conservative austerity has made local authorities less able to deliver services for their communities.

 Adur residents have suffered as a result:

• Housing out of reach of local young people
• Council homes – Adur Homes – poorly maintained and money wasted with homes left empty for too long
• A cost of living crisis – Labour proposals on measures to help local businesses, and residents rejected.

 Housing fails to meet local need

Nothing screams government failure more than the housing market – stringing young people along and wasting time and resources on policies that come to nothing as ministers come and go.

The supply of social housing has declined massively. As a result, this council is spending £631,000 placing homeless families with private landlords and in hotel rooms. Vulnerable people and families with children are moved outside of their home area.

 Council housing – Adur Homes – failing the community 

Too many families and pensioners are living in poor conditions

It’s wrong to be putting up rents whilst wasting money through properties sitting empty. Last year voids (empty homes) cost the council £226k, this year £389k. Adur is going backwards and it’s really hurting our housing fund. We call for increased effort to get void properties back into use as an urgent priority.

 Cost of living crisis – people and businesses need support

A slump in disposable incomes of 3.8% is predicted for this year. Poverty is becoming normalised  – whilst energy companies are reporting record profits. And what’s going to happen in April when the energy price cap is lifted?

 This year Labour brought to the council proposals on the cost of living, pro-active measures to help businesses and residents. All were rejected. Clearly issues which the administration isn’t keen to tackle properly. 

 Council tax

Yet again we’re seeing council tax hikes during a cost of living crisis. We welcome this council resisting the chancellor’s raising of the cap to 3% and keeping the rise to 2%. 

Council tax is a regressive tax – it hits Adur residents on the lowest earnings the hardest. We don’t think it’s fair to burden council tax payers when there are better ways to fund local government.

 As part of the budget discussion Conservatives voted down a Labour amendment to give local people and organisations the chance to adopt and care for green spaces in the district.

 The scheme would bring benefits to the environment, bio-dversity and the community. It would allow a constituted resident, community or school group to adopt a green space from the council and set up and maintain a community garden. Residents would be able to take over a piece of council land to grow veg, fruit, flowers or go for a low-maintenance option with trees. Although the Conservatives voted against the proposal they said they would, however, see what they could do to enhance their work in that area.

 A Green Party amendment to increase council tax further – to 2.99% was rejected. Labour voted against this increase