Worthing Borough Council could push back on some expectations following a review of its finances, with senior officers warning Local Government Reorganisation was making long-term financial planning difficult.
The council is preparing a response to an external review carried out by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) after the council received financial support from the government.
The review was discussed at a meeting of the joint audit and governance committee on Tuesday, September 22, where councillors were told that an action plan responding to the recommendations had not yet been drawn up.
Emma Thomas, the council’s corporate director for resources, said the council was still reviewing the document and would need to discuss its response with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) first.
She said that there were ‘some contradictions’ in the review as some of its recommendations would be difficult to achieve given the council’s current circumstances.
Chief executive Paul Brewer said Local Government Reorganisation was one of the main challenges being faced.He said the council’s five-year financial plan would overlap the LGR process, making planning for the longer term more difficult.
He added that the review recognised the council’s options for further savings were becoming increasingly limited, meaning more cuts could fall on housing and regulatory services.
Mr Brewer said officers may need to ‘push back on some of those expectations’ when drawing up the council’s response to the review.
Worthing Borough Council received £4.75million in Exceptional Funding Support (EFS) for 2025/26 and has approval in principle for a further £5million for 2026/27.
CIPFA’s review stated that Worthing council had made significant improvements to its financial management, internal controls and governance. However, it said the council’s financial position remained fragile and it was ‘likely that it will continue to require EFS in future years’.
An action plan is expected to come back to the committee in November after officers have responded to MHCLG and discussed the recommendations.