Adur District Council draws up budget to improve its environment for the community
Released: Friday, 30 January 2026
Protecting and improving the environment and supporting the most vulnerable members of the community are the focus of our proposed plans for the next 12 months.
The council's cabinet yesterday backed a draft revenue budget for the district that would see significant investment in our waste, recycling and cleansing services as well as extra money set aside to fund the housing of locals with nowhere to live.
A new food waste service will be rolled out to all homes in the district during 2026/27 while there will also be increased investment in Adur's community centres, in its town and village centres and in the protection of its coastline.
Councillor Jeremy Gardner, the leader of Adur District Council, said:
“As a council for the community, we're committed to creating a fairer, greener Adur for everyone who lives, works and visits here.
“This budget for the next year will allow us to reduce our impact on our environment, while we make our shopping areas and green spaces more welcoming and continue to provide the vital services our communities use every day.”
A report drafted for the cabinet sets out how a below-inflation council tax rise of 2.99% - the equivalent of less than 20p per week extra for the average Band D home - will be enough to balance the books while continuing to invest in the services the community needs.
The greatest financial pressure we face comes from the increasing problem of homelessness in the district. In the first six months of this financial year, 119 Adur families, couples or individuals approached us for advice about homelessness - up 24% on the figure a year earlier.
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.
Supporting the increasing number of local residents who have nowhere to live is expected to continue to be a challenge for us over the next year, so for 2026/27 we intend to set aside more than £400,000 extra compared to our budget for this year to help those in need.
There are also small increases in charges for optional services such as on-street parking, venue hire and commercial waste collections of up to 3.5%. The increases have been calculated to ensure that they remain affordable for those who want and need to use them.
Around a fifth of the budget will be funded by the significant income from buildings and other assets we own and lease to businesses.
The full council will now consider the budget from the cabinet at its public meeting at 7pm on Thursday 26th February 2026 at The Shoreham Centre.
The council tax level for the coming year will also be agreed at the meeting of the full council. If the 2.99% increase recommended by the cabinet is confirmed, the amount payable by a household in the average Band D home would be £353.97 a year - up £10.26 from the £343.71 charge this year.
To review the draft budget, see:
(PR26-014)
Page last updated: 30 January 2026