Lib Dems’ budget changes defeated
Opposition councillors have accused Conservatives in Mid Sussex of losing sight of the district council’s motto – ‘The good of the people must come first’.
At last Wednesday’s budget meeting two Lib Dem amendments were voted down.
The first, from Robert Eggleston asked for £100,000 to be transferred from the general reserve to a specific reserve aimed at funding environmental, economic and social improvements in Burgess Hill town centre.
Mr Eggleston told the meeting that the money had been given to the council by developer New River – who had plans for a £65m regeneration of the town centre approved in 2020 – and was sitting in the general reserve.
The second amendment, from Janice Henwood asked for £100,000 to be drawn from the general reserve to pay for and install a Changing Places toilet in the Orchards Shopping Centre in Haywards Heath.
On the first, Mr AshEdwards said there had been no explanation as to what the money would actually be spent on. As for the second, he reminded the meeting that discussions about a Changing Places toilet had been going on since January.
But Lib Dem group leader Alison Bennett accused the administration of adopting a ‘bunker mentality’ adding: “The Conservative administration have lost sight of the motto of [the council] which is that ‘the good of the people must come first’.”