Calls to cut the number of Arun district councillors by more than a third

Lib Dem councillors Francis Oppler (Orchard) and James Walsh (Beach) have put forward a motion to Arun District Council to carry out a review.

Their motion claims that a boundary review carried out a decade ago ‘missed a golden opportunity to significantly reduce the number of councillors’.

They say reducing the number of councillors would save on costs at a time of financial hardship.

“At this time of financial hardship, many Arun residents are looking at ways of cutting down on their financial expenditures,” reads the motion.

“They are closely examining what they can cut out and what is really needed for the future.

“Our residents are also facing year-on-year council tax rises, and many residents in Arun are on fixed incomes, so these increases become even more of a struggle.

“The last boundary review in 2012 missed a golden opportunity to significantly reduce the number of councillors, it settled for a total reduction of two.

“If Arun were to reduce the number of councillors by twenty, the council would save well in excess of £100,000 per year.”

ADC currently has 54 councillors representing 23 wards which are home to a combined population of almost 165,000.

If the motion is supported, Arun could approach the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) with a view to reducing the number of councillors to 34.

Councillors are not paid a salary but receive a basic allowance and more if they take on ‘special responsibilities’ such as chairing a committee.

In the year ending March 2021, expenses and allowances cost ADC almost £430,000.

Totals for the year ending March 2022 have not been published.

In their motion, the Lib Dem councillors also called for ‘hidden costs’ to be examined, namely the cost of support provided by council staff.

According to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, an ‘electoral review’ can be carried out if requested by a council.

This might involve reviewing the total number of councillors; the number and boundaries of wards; the number of councillors for any ward; and ward names.