Published: 06 January 2025
From: Business and economy
There are just three days left to complete Crawley Borough Council’s consultation on its budget before it closes on 9 January.
The council is facing significant financial challenges. Over the years, the council has sought to protect the services it provides by becoming ever more efficient and generating new sources of income. However, for every £10 of council tax collected just £1 goes to the council with the rest going to West Sussex County Council, the Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner.
In addition, the funding provided by the Government has reduced by more than one third over the past eight years. This is significantly worse than many other councils.
Last year, the council declared a housing emergency due to the soaring costs of temporary accommodation. This means that £2 of every £3 collected in council tax now goes towards providing temporary accommodation for Crawley residents.
I would like to encourage our residents to complete the consultation and help us set our priorities for the year ahead. The costs of temporary accommodation mean that we simply can’t continue providing the level of services that we do currently. Our funding has been reduced and reduced, despite the clear need for council services. We want to listen to our residents and help the council to keep delivering for the residents of Crawley.
Councillor Michael Jones
Leader
Crawley Borough Council
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