Council finances summary

For 2025 to 2026 we are expecting to receive an income of £120.7 million and spend £139.7 million, which means the net budget to pay for services is £19.0 million.

We will receive government grants, including Business rates relief grants together with retained Business Rates of £10.2 million, leaving an amount to collect from Council Tax of £8.8 million.

Our Council Tax requirement

Item
Value
Item:
The council tax requirement for 2025 to 2026
Value:
£8,840,927
Item:
The council tax requirement for 2024 to 2025
Value:
£8,503,455
Item:
The percentage increase from 2024 to 2025 until 2025 to 2026
Value:
2.99%

Spending summary

Our share of Council Tax (£8.8 million) funds many services including homelessness, refuse collection and waste recycling, maintaining community spaces and sports pitches, environmental health duties, supporting major projects around the town as well as health and wellbeing initiatives.

The key pressures affecting the budget for 2025 to 2026 are:

  • pay (including the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions) and cost prices
  • the cost of homelessness and temporary accommodation
  • the impact of water neutrality (no net increase in water demand) on development in the borough
  • the commercial rental sector, which continues to be very volatile and difficult to predict impacting on the lettings of council properties

Full detail of the our budget can be read in the document below.

Net cost of services

Services
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£)
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£)
Variation (£)
Services:
Cabinet
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-3,347,230
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-3,706,660
Variation (£):
-359,430
Services:
Community engagement and culture
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
2,044,650
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
1,773,450
Variation (£):
-271,200
Services:
Environment, sustainability and climate change
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
4,946,750
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
5,222,830
Variation (£):
276,080
Services:
Housing
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
8,479,260
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
8,839,690
Variation (£):
360,430
Services:
Leisure and wellbeing
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
9,539,050
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
9,436,660
Variation (£):
-102,390
Services:
Planning and economic development
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
2,325,740
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
2,496,120
Variation (£):
170,380
Services:
Public protection
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
969,370
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
1,194,750
Variation (£):
225,380
Services:
Resources
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-860,260
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-754,230
Variation (£):
106,030
Services:
Depreciation
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-3,936,590
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-4,492,600
Variation (£):
-556,010
Services:
Contribution to renewals fund
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
350,000
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
0
Variation (£):
-350,000
Services:
Net cost of services
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
20,510,740
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
20,010,010
Variation (£):
-500,730

Net expenditure

Item
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£)
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£)
Variation (£)
Item:
Investment interest
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-1,516,467
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-1,512,683
Variation (£):
3,784
Item:
Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP)
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
64,900
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
522,900
Variation (£):
458,000
Item:
Total of net cost of services less investment interest and MRP
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
19,059,173
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
19.020,227
Variation (£):
-38,946
Item:
Transfer to or from reserves
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-1,065,439
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
87,920
Variation (£):
1,153,359
Item:
Net expenditure
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
17,993,734
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
19,108,147
Variation (£):
1,114,413

Grants and other funding

Item
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£)
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£)
Variation (£)
Item:
Retained Business rates
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-7,987,009
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-7,554,931
Variation (£):
432,078
Item:
Council Tax
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-8,503,455
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-8,840,927
Variation (£):
-337,472
Item:
Collection fund surplus or deficit: Council tax
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-99,611
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
9,937
Variation (£):
109,548

Government grants
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£)
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£)
Variation (£)
Government grants:
New Homes Bonus
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-35,000
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-19,880
Variation (£):
15,120
Government grants:
Revenue Support Grant
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-237,713
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-280,918
Variation (£):
-43,205
Government grants:
Services Grant
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-25,434
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
0
Variation (£):
25,434
Government grants:
Recovery Grant
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
0
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-375,387
Variation (£):
-375,387
Government grants:
Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Grant
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
0
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-38,868
Variation (£):
-38,868
Government grants:
Funding Floor (formerly Funding Guarantee)
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-1,105,512
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-381,173
Variation (£):
724,339
Government grants:
Extended Producer Responsibility Grant
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
0
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-1,426,000
Variation (£):
-1,426,000
Government grants:
National Insurance funding (estimate)
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
0
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-200,000
Variation (£):
-200,000
Government grants:
Grants and other funding total
2024 to 2025 original estimate (£):
-17,993,734
2025 to 2026 original estimate (£):
-19,108,147
Variation (£):
-1,114,413

Spending changes - budget requirement

Budget requirement for 2024 to 2025 is £19,059,000

2025/26 budget variances

Item
Variation (£)
Item:
Inflation
Variation (£):
1,137,000
Item:
National Insurance increase
Variation (£):
722,000
Item:
Contract changes
Variation (£):
-576,000
Item:
Town Hall costs and rental income
Variation (£):
-731,000
Item:
Homelessness Prevention Grant
Variation (£):
-306,000
Item:
Investment and operational properties
Variation (£):
217,000
Item:
Planning income
Variation (£):
145,000
Item:
Other
Variation (£):
668,000
Item:
Interest or financing
Variation (£):
816,000
Item:
Remove renewals reserve
Variation (£):
-350,000
Item:
Changes in funding (Council Tax, Business Rates, government grants)
Variation (£):
-1,114,000
Item:
Member savings or additional income
Variation (£):
-1,732,000
Item:
Movement in use of reserves
Variation (£):
1,153,000
Item:
Budget requirement 2025 to 2026
Variation (£):
19,108,000

Band-by-Band charge table

Precepting authorities’ budget figures

The council tax requirements for West Sussex County Council and Sussex Police are shown below.  Please see their website for full details.

Service
Council tax requirement for 2025 to 2026 (£)
Council tax requirement for 2024 to 2025 (£)
% change
Service:
West Sussex County Council
Council tax requirement for 2025 to 2026 (£):
66,593,277.99
Council tax requirement for 2024 to 2025 (£):
62,830,571.7
% change:
4.99
Service:
Sussex Police
Council tax requirement for 2025 to 2026 (£):
9,871,711.72
Council tax requirement for 2024 to 2025 (£):
9,265,863.67
% change:
5.54