The Council has increased its Council Tax by £5.22 for the 2023/24 financial year which equates to an increase of 2.70% bringing the annual charge to £198.60 for a Band D property.

There continues to be significant financial pressures on the Council for 2023/24 and beyond. The Council is responding to these pressures through its financial stability 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

Band2022/232023/24Increase
A£128.92£132.40£3.48
B£150.41£154.47£4.06
C£171.89£176.53£4.64
D£193.38£198.60£5.22
E£236.35£242.73£6.38
F£279.33£286.87£7.54
G£322.30£331.00£8.70
H£386.76£397.20£10.44

The Total Band D Council Tax is:

AuthorityAmount
ESCC£1,693.80
Rother District Council£198.60
Sussex Police Authority£239.91
East Sussex Fire Authority£104.37
Parish/Town CouncilSee the table below for each area’s amount

Town Council Expenditures

Battle Town Council 2023/24

AreaGross Expenditure £Income £Net Expenditure £
Finance and General Purpose309,025-16,250292,775
Environment93,791-21,87971,912
External Relations and Town Development21,400-82020,580
Planning and Transport14,510014,510
Town Council Precept438,726-38,949399,777
2022/23 Total427,904-40,054387,850

Rye Town Council 2023/24

Area2022/23 £2023/24 £
General Administration135,507150,211
Grants/Donations/Loans7,0006,500
Property Purchase and Maintenance14,26514,119
Public Realm52,91088,962
Recreation1,0009,025
Tourism34,9544,300
Gross Expenditure245,636273,117
Income-57,044-52,627
Town Council Precept188,592220,490

Bexhill on Sea Town Council 2023/24

Area2022/23 £2023/24 £
Central Support127,500237,250
Premises Costs34,00042,000
Computers and Equipment5,0007,500
Community Committee64,50058,000
Climate, Nature and Environment Committee40,00039,000
Member Representation45,20045,200
Allotments3,0004,650
Other Costs23,35022,500
Reserves50,00050,000
Assets0150,000
Gross Expenditure392,550656,100
Income-1,630-4,385
Town Council Precept390,920651,715

Council Tax Amounts in each Area 2023/24

2022/23 Local Precept £Local Tax Area2023/24 Local Precept £2023/24 Local Band D Council Tax £2023/24 Total Band D Council Tax £
13,000Ashburnham & Penhurst13,65073.322,310.00
387,850Battle399,777143.272,379.95
25,000Beckley25,00045.302,281.98
1,028,380Bexhill (see note)1,330,89538.312,314.91
10,980Bodiam11,42068.582,305.26
38,940Brede39,94546.552,283.23
7,739Brightling7,89439.462,276.14
105,792Burwash105,79284.152,320.83
63,498Camber63,49896.012,332.69
30,000Catsfield32,00083.412,320.09
29,134Crowhurst32,45587.252,323.93
8,435Dallington9,43554.662,291.34
0East Guldeford002,236.68
71,500Etchingham71,600169.592,406.27
73,641Ewhurst77,343138.862,375.54
70,000Fairlight90,000100.942,337.62
9,180Guestling9,54715.022,251.70
44,594Hurst Green48,68182.882,319.56
157,588Icklesham159,580129.152,365.83
16,000Iden16,00068.452,305.13
13,100Mountfield12,00059.202,295.88
100,000Northiam107,500102.872,339.55
37,000Peasmarsh37,00073.532,310.21
23,000Pett23,00049.262,285.94
5,000Playden5,00030.572,267.25
253,022Rye (see note)292,140115.092,389.17
2,000Rye Foreign2,00012.792,249.47
107,770Salehurst116,912114.052,350.73
58,613Sedlescombe59,80088.492,325.17
147,550Ticehurst150,15088.312,324.99
6,630Udimore7,00036.902,273.58
99,665Westfield104,00093.712,330.39
7,100Whatlington7,10045.282,281.96
NoteLocal Precept 2023/24Local Precept 2022/23
Bexhill£651,715£390,920
Rye£220,490£188,592
NoteRother Expenses 2023/24Rother Expenses 2022/23
Bexhill£679,180£637,640
Rye£71,650£64,430

Spending on Services

2022/23

Area2022/23 Net Budget £000
Acquisitions, Transformation and Regeneration-13
Corporate Core2,173
Environmental Services, Licencing and Community Strategy629
Housing, Community and Neighbourhood Services8,212
Resources3,303
Strategy and Planning1,325
Total Cost of Services15,629
Other Operating Income and Expenditure1,107
Total Rother District Council Budget16,736
Local Council Budgets2,350
Gross Budget Requirements19,086

2023/24

AreaGross Spend £000Income £000Net Spend £000Capital Projects £000
Acquisitions, Transformation and Regeneration2,715-3,025-31021,466
Corporate Core 2,297-782,2190
Environmental Services, Licencing and Community Strategy 1,036-3606760
Housing, Community and Neighbourhood Services14,189-4,9049,2852,556
Resources19,294-15,4263,8680
Strategy and Planning2,179-1,0501,1290
Total Cost of Services41,710-24,84316,86724,022
Other Operating Income and Expenditure944-1,106-1620
Total Rother District Council Budget42,654-25,94916,70524,022
Local Council Budgets2,71702,7170
Gross Budget Requirements45,371-25,94919,42224,022

How Spending Changed

Increase/(-Decrease) in Year on Year Spend£000
Rother District Council Net Spending 2022/2316,736
Contractual inflation632
Removal of provision for planning appeals from the base budget-300
Additional savings from the Financial Stability Programme-471
Increased income returns from investments-244
Reduction in borrowing costs due to reprofiling of the capital programme-556
Increasing homelessness costs353
Increase in housing benefit costs520
Property Investment Strategy rental income-639
External audit fees98
Non pay inflation270
Pay inflation722
Increase in fees & charges-196
Other changes in pay, e.g. removal of the health & social care levy-220
Rother District Council Net Spending 2023/2416,705

Where the Money Comes From

Source£000£ per resident%
Income3,8313920
Business Rate Retention Scheme4,4734623
Council Taxpayers (including Parishes)11,11811457
Gross Budget Requirement19,422199100

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.

---
title: Breakdown of where we get our money from (£m)
---
pie
    "Non Ringfenced Grants - £1.796m" : 1.796
    "Business Rate Retention Scheme - £4.473m" : 4.473
    "Council Tax Payers (excl. Parishes) - £8.401m" : 8.401
    "Other Income (Grants, Fees, Charges etc.) - £28.470m" : 28.570

Other Information

The budget requirement includes levies from the following:-

Levies From2023/24 Amount2022/23 Amount
Romney Marshes Area Internal Drainage Board£147,547£137,819
Pevensey and Cuckmere Water Level Management Board£4,910£4,626

The number of staff to be employed by the Council in 2023/24 is estimated to be 246 full time equivalents. There is an increase of 3 from 2022/23. A number of posts are funded by external sources.

National Fraud Initiative – Fair Processing Notice

Rother District Council is participating in an exercise to promote the proper spending of public money.

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 Audit Commission currently requires us to participate in its anti-fraud initiative. For the initiative we provide details of trade creditors, taxi drivers, personal alcohol licences, payroll, Council Tax single person discounts and electoral role so that they can be compared to information provided by other public bodies.

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

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