Calls for Arun to declare cost of living emergency deemed 'too political'

A motion to declare a cost of living emergency was put forward during Thursday’s (September 29) full council meeting but was not accepted as it was deemed ‘too political’.

Lib Dem councillors Pauline Gregory (Rustington West) and Jamie Bennett (also Rustington West) proposed the motion.

It called on ADC to freeze council tax from 2023; review additional help for families; and add a section to its website to signpost residents to food banks and other help.

It also called on the council’s chief executive to lobby government to reduce standard VAT; scrap VAT on domestic energy bills; and use income from a ‘windfall tax’ on energy companies to help reduce household bills.

“Arun and its residents are suffering due to the cost of living crisis,” said Ms Gregory.

“Recent figures provided by The Trussell Trust, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton food banks for the last financial year [show] that 2,655 food parcels have been distributed feeding 6,263 individuals, including repeat users, with 2,321 being distributed to children.

“Whilst the government is providing one off payments of £400, or an average of £33 per calendar month, many households in Arun will be in fuel poverty meaning that more than ten per cent of their income will be spent on fuel, particularly those on low pay and pensioners.”

A vote on the motion resulted in a tie and it was not accepted.

Instead, ADC voted for cost of living issues to be discussed by its housing and well-being committee.

Some councillors called the motion ‘political point scoring’.

Council vice-chair Alison Cooper (Con, Rustington East) said: “I don’t think that any of us would deny that there is a cost of living emergency.

“I don’t know that we necessarily need a motion for it but I just want to say that there is a lot of work already being done.”

Ricky Bower (Con, East Preston) said it was ‘unfortunate’ that the motion sounded like ‘a Guardian headline’, adding: “I do not believe that we should be instructing the government [on] how they should be running things.”

Grant Roberts (Con, Arundel and Walberton) said it was ‘despicable’ that the motion had been ‘made political’.