The Council has increased its Council Tax by £6.11 for the 2025/26 financial year which equates to an increase of 2.99% bringing the annual charge to £210.65 for a Band D property.

There continues to be significant financial pressures on the Council for 2025/26 and beyond. The Council is responding to these pressures through its Fit for the Future programme which is designed to deliver additional income and savings that will balance the budget over the medium term. In the interim the Council will use its reserves to best safeguard the essential services it delivers.

Council Tax per Household

Band2024/252025/26Increase
A£136.36£140.43£4.07
B£159.09£163.84£4.75
C£181.81£187.24£5.43
D£204.54£210.65£6.11
E£249.99£257.46£7.47
F£295.45£304.27£8.82
G£340.90£351.08£10.18
H£409.08£421.30£12.22

The Total Band D Council Tax is:

AuthorityAmount
ESCC£1,867.05
Rother District Council£210.65
Sussex Police Authority£266.91
East Sussex Fire Authority£112.49
Parish/Town CouncilSee the table below for each area’s amount

Town Council Expenditures

Battle Town Council 2025/26

AreaGross Expenditure £Income £Net Expenditure £
Finance and General Purpose397,332-30,411366,921
Environment135,272-46,23089,042
External Relations and Town Development22,420-1,00021,420
Planning and Transport21,418021,418
Town Council Precept576,442-77,641498,801
2024/25 Total547,182-71,912475,270

Rye Town Council 2025/26

Area2024/25 £2025/26 £
Affordable Accommodation13,6698,669
Devolved Services22,00050,544
General Administration160,609156,116
Grants/Donations/Loans2,5007,000
Property Purchase and Maintenance8,6509,850
Public Realm85,07084,226
Recreation23,32537,850
Tourism1,0003,075
Gross Expenditure316,823357,330
Income-66,136-72,447
Town Council Precept250,687284,883

Bexhill on Sea Town Council 2025/26

Area2024/25 £2025/26 £
Central Support369,335498,100
Premises and Equipment Costs61,00084,700
Bus Shelters010,000
Community Committee58,00078,000
Climate, Nature and Environment Committee46,80948,500
Member Representation45,50025,750
Allotments4,6505,650
Other Costs24,50015,000
Reserves50,00050,000
Public Toilets042,000
CCTV55,00037,000
Christmas Lights32,00065,000
Gross Expenditure746,794959,700
Income-33,630-42,260
Town Council Precept713,164917,440

Council Tax Amounts in each Area 2025/26

2024/25 Local Precept £Local Tax Area2025/26 Local Precept £2025/26 Local Band D Council Tax £2025/26 Total Band D Council Tax £
14,500Ashburnham & Penhurst15,22574.502,531.60
475,270Battle498,801171.772,628.87
25,000Beckley30,00052.752,509.85
1,424,720Bexhill (see note)1,649,54495.242,552.34
15,209Bodiam15,67091.302,548.40
41,686Brede44,11749.912,507.01
8,460Brightling9,13743.912,501.01
113,198Burwash113,19887.052,544.15
63,498Camber63,49888.762,545.86
32,000Catsfield48,400124.592,581.69
35,218Crowhurst35,21792.912,550.01
11,000Dallington11,50062.262,519.36
0East Guldeford00.002,457.10
82,000Etchingham87,500200.932,658.03
80,437Ewhurst83,122145.222,602.32
95,000Fairlight74,86780.182,537.28
9,977Guestling10,32615.442,472.54
56,784Hurst Green65,818110.652,567.75
166,730Icklesham151,110115.712,572.81
16,000Iden18,00073.422,530.52
12,000Mountfield12,00056.832,513.93
113,000Northiam134,000122.312,579.41
37,000Peasmarsh37,00070.012,527.11
26,000Pett35,00071.712,528.81
5,000Playden5,00028.322,485.42
325,761Rye (see note)364,525184.682,641.78
2,500Rye Foreign2,50014.002,471.10
129,287Salehurst152,820148.132,605.23
67,650Sedlescombe70,000101.582,558.68
159,110Ticehurst163,17991.182,548.28
7,000Udimore7,00035.892,492.99
111,000Westfield118,770103.272,560.37
7,455Whatlington8,20050.802,507.90
NoteLocal Precept
2025/26

2024/25
Rother Expenses
2025/26

2024/25
Bexhill:£917,440£713,164£732,104£711,556
Rye:£284,883£250,687£79,642£75,074

Spending on Services

2024/25

Area2024/25 Net Budget £000
Chief Executive3,170
Deputy Chief Executive4,860
Director Place and Climate Change7,335
Total Cost of Services15,365
Other Operating Income and Expenditure-66
Total Rother District Council Budget15,299
Local Council Budgets2,983
Gross Budget Requirements18,282

2025/26

AreaGross Spend £000Income £000Net Spend £000
Chief Executive Officer (HoPS)4,259-3,335924
Deputy Chief Executive Officer (s151)32,099-23,8128,287
Director of Governance and Community Services (MO) 14,934-8,4296,505
Total Cost of Services51,292-35,57615,716
Other Operating Income and Expenditure1,514-1,214300
Total Rother District Council Budget52,806-36,79016,016
Local Council Budgets3,32303,323
Gross Budget Requirements56,129-36,79019,339

How Spending Changed

Increase/(-Decrease) in Year on Year Spend£000
Rother District Council Cost of Services 2024/2515,365
Temporary accommodation costs (net)431
Temporary accommodation purchases – cost recovery-104
Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (EPR) grant-955
Grounds maintenance contract savings (net)-179
Public conveniences cleaning contract saving (net)-71
Car park charges (net)-117
Property voids and rent reviews161
Finance – Asset valuations, licence and external audit fees, bank charges, system upgrades and increase in unapportioned pension costs131
Planning Development Management – net additional income from planning fees, charges and recharges, offset by new posts to enhance service provision-213
Waste contract increases and food waste collection preparation costs469
Employer’s national insurance increase260
Other miscellaneous changes538
Rother District Council Cost of Services 2025/2615,716

Spending on Capital Projects

2025/26

AreaCapital Projects £000
Development Programme24,512
A Thriving Local Economy3,055
Live Well Locally9,377
Fit for the future502
Green to the Core70
Total Rother District Council Capital Budget37,516

Where the Money Comes From

Source£000£ per resident%
Income2,0282110
Business Rate Retention Scheme4,8165125
Council Taxpayers (including Parishes)12,49513265
Gross Budget Requirement19,339204100

Who Funds Us?

Only a small portion of our services and projects are paid for through Council Tax, the majority of our funding comes from other sources.

The gross income pie chart below shows the breakdown of where we get our money from.

Other Information

The budget requirement includes levies from the following:-

Levies From2025/26 Amount2024/25 Amount
Romney Marshes Area Internal Drainage Board£159,025£154,354
Pevensey and Cuckmere Water Level Management Board£5,536£5,199

The number of staff to be employed by the Council in 2025/26 is estimated to be 268 full time equivalents. There is an increase of 15 from 2024/25. A number of posts are funded by external sources and capital schemes.

National Fraud Initiative – Fair Processing Notice

The Council is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. It may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds in order to prevent and detect fraud.  The Cabinet Office currently requires us to participate in its anti-fraud initiative.

At present there are two data matching exercises;

  1. A two-yearly national match to government, local government and other public sector records for which we supply payroll, housing benefit, council tax reduction scheme, creditors, licensing and housing register data; and
  2. An annual local match of council tax and electoral register data.

The use of data by the Cabinet Office in data matching exercises is carried out with statutory authority under Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.  It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.

Further information is available on our website at www.rother.gov.uk.

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