Bexhill community groups may see drop in county council funding amid worsening recession

East Sussex County Council said future reductions in money from central government looked more than certain.

The grim news was announced at a cabinet meeting at County Hall in Lewes last Tuesday (October 20).

Councillors said that next year's budget, which runs from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011, will be tough but the following three years will be even tougher.

Councillor Tony Reid, deputy leader of the council, said: "Cutbacks in public sector funding and the impact of the recession on council finances mean that the outlook for our budget and services here in East Sussex is extremely challenging.

"Basically, unless the Government revises its current plans for next year, we know how much we've got and we will need to make some savings, but it's the following three years that will hit us really hard.

"Our track record for delivering services against tight budgets will stand us in good stead. There are some very difficult times ahead, so we'll be tackling this by looking at every service to see whether there are better, more cost effective, ways of doing things.

"We'll be drawing up options as to how we can make significant savings over the next three to four years and still ensure our services provide value for money for our residents. Throughout this process, we'll be asking local people for their views."

At its meeting in January next year, the council's cabinet will be looking at initial cash limit proposals for the three years after 2010/11.