Council set to take out £70m loan for care services
HandoutCouncillors in East Sussex will take out a £70m loan to continue to provide essential day-to-day services like adult social care and children's services, it has been agreed.
Leaders have said increasing demand and rising costs have led to a £56m predicted budget shortfall for the coming 2026-27 financial year.
Peta Church, whose partner Terry receives care in Eastbourne for his dementia, said without the support she would not be able to cope and he would have to go into a care home.
The government said it continued to "work closely" with East Sussex County Council on its requests for financial support.
Church's partner was a lecturer at the University of Brighton before rapidly-progressing dementia made him unable to care for himself.
He attends Milton Grange adult social care centre in Eastbourne.
The centre was threatened with closure last year as East Sussex struggled to balance its budget, but was saved after a campaign against the cuts.
She said: "It means everything. My life would be completely different. If Terry was at home all day I would have no freedom at all.
"I'm just one person. There's people all over Eastbourne and across East Sussex who need these centres and care services."
Rising demand
The Conservative leader of East Sussex County Council, Keith Glazier, said East Sussex had been "particularly hard hit" by a reduction in government funding.
The county's budget for 2026-27 sees plans for £693m of spending on services.
Rising demand has seen spending on community care, special educational needs, disability services and looking after children in care increase significantly in recent years.
Despite making savings of more than £156m over the past 15 years, the council is facing a £56m deficit, having drawn on reserves for the past two years to balance its budget.
Council leaders have said taking out the loan was necessary to avoid a council tax increase of 19%.
Instead they are asking residents to pay another 4.99% - a rise of £93.24 to £1,960.29 on an average band D property.
Opposition party leaders questioned what plans would be made the repay the loan.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government said: "We continue to work closely with East Sussex and Brighton & Hove County Councils on their requests for financial support.
"The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £638m in Core Spending Power for East Sussex County Council in 2026-27, an 11.2% increase compared to 2024-25."
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