BAND D households in West Sussex will pay an extra £66 per year in 2019/20 after the county council agreed a tax increase of 4.99 per cent, which includes a dedicated two per cent to fund adult social care.

The council also agreed significant investments to support the delivery of the five key priority areas of the West Sussex Plan, including a £6.1m investment in children and young people’s services, £7.3m in adults and health, £3m additional investment in extra care schemes to help keep older people living independently for longer, and £44.5m in a sustainable energy programme.

The authority also agreed to invest £5m to create community hubs and bring key services under one roof, £13.8m in corporate and fire fleet vehicles and £1.8m in specialist fire equipment, and £22.5m in digital infrastructure supporting businesses and rural communities.

Since 2010, the council has saved more than £200m and in the same period government funding has been cut by £145m. It faced a challenging financial gap of £45.4m for 2019/20 alone.