WEST Sussex County Council’s decision to cut millions from housing-related support over the next two years has been branded ‘immoral’.

The service helps to fund homelessness charities such as Crawley Open House and Chichester-based Stonepillow – and the council has been warned cutting money would make the county ‘less safe’ and lead to an increase in deaths among rough sleepers.

The decision to reduce the £6.3m budget to £4.6m in 2019/20 and then to £2.3m in 2020/21 was defended by leader Louise Goldsmith and Amanda Jupp, cabinet member for adults and health, at a meeting of the full council on February 15.

But Francis Oppler (Lib Dem, Bognor Regis East) said: “This council is choosing to make this particular cut of £4m from supported housing. It’s not being forced upon us – it is a choice.

“The decision for me is just immoral.”

Both Mrs Goldsmith and Mrs Jupp reminded members the county was not the housing authority,with that duty falling to the districts and boroughs.

Pointing colleagues to the new Homelessness Reduction Act, Mrs Jupp said the districts and boroughs ‘cannot get away from their responsibilities’.

She added: “But we have always pledged to help and support whatever they want to do because we recognise we have a responsibility to that vulnerable group of people.”

Mrs Goldsmith told the meeting some of the contracts involved had not been fit for purpose and it was the right time to review them.

She said the council had set aside £750,000 to help the charities cope during the transition to the new arrangements – though each would have to bid for a share.

Mrs Goldsmith also announced West Sussex had successfully bid for a share of the government’s Rapid Rehousing Pathway funding, and should receive around £336,000.

Added to the £750,000, that made just under £1.1m to ‘help support those housing charities to ensure we change and move forward so we all play that important role to help the homeless and help them off the streets’.

The leader told the meeting this year’s budget had been the ‘hardest yet’ to set and they had decided to focus mainly on their statutory duties.

She added: “There’s no more give in the financial envelope.

“It’s like maintaining a neighbour’s garden. It’s a nice thing to do, keeps everything ship-shape and helps the relationship.

“But when your income reduces and you have no cash to spare, despite best intentions you have to reduce or stop helping. There’s the rub – no-one likes it.

“This is the case with the supported housing decision, which I know has been the hardest for all.”

Mr Oppler said it was a ‘fantasy’ that district and borough councils would be able to pick up the baton, adding: “All of them are in financial difficulties of their own and do not have the infrastructure to be able to cope and deliver this service.”

? The Stop Velo campaign has said it is ‘appalled’ West Sussex County Council is considering allowing the controversial cycle event to return in 2020.

West Sussex County Council has said the 100-mile cycle event will not return in 2019 to give it time to ‘better understand’ concerns about the event but it remained ‘open-minded’ about events on such a scale.

Chris Matthews, a leading member of the Stop Velo campaign, said: “It’s appalling the council has announced it is thinking about this before it has consulted with the thousands of residents who opposed the last one.

“They have broken every single promise in terms of learning from 2018.”