Adur District Council on track to balance its books despite challenges
Released: Friday, 05 December 2025
Our new way of working is helping us to balance the books while continuing to provide the services the community wants and needs.
At this stage in 2024, we were trying to find ways to tackle a £754,000 shortfall in our budget in the face of increasing costs and a need to support a growing number of vulnerable members of the community.
But a year later we are on track to not only cover our annual costs but also put around £750,000 into our reserves, after changing the way we deliver projects and services.
Rather than developing projects alone, we're working with partners and using outside investment to regenerate parts of the district and help improve the environment for everyone who lives, works and visits here.
A key focus is on working more closely with community groups and residents to identify and deliver the projects that the community wants, such as a relaunched Adur Outdoor Activities Centre in Shoreham and an improved Eastbrook Manor Community Centre in Fishersgate.
An increasing number of local residents are coming to us for help because they have nowhere to live, with 119 Adur families, couples or individuals having approached it seeking advice about homelessness in the first six months of this financial year. This is a 24% increase on the 96 Adur households who became homeless in the same period in 2024.
The cost of funding temporary accommodation for Adur residents now uses up 16% of our whole budget - one in every £6 we take in - but we receive only £2,464 in support from the government per homeless household, just half the £4,917 average across West Sussex.
Despite this, a report to be considered by Adur & Worthing Councils' joint strategic committee next week will set out how as well as putting money into its reserves, we are still in line to be almost £250,000 under budget for the year.
The joint strategic committee meeting will be held at The Shoreham Centre from 6:30pm on Tuesday 9th December 2025 and is open to the public. Residents are encouraged to come along, ask questions and share their thoughts.
To read the report for the meeting, see:
(PR25-096)
Page last updated: 10 December 2025