Community to help design Adur and Worthing’s services for the future

The councils exist to help the communities across Adur and Worthing to ‘live the best lives they can’, supporting the ‘most vulnerable’ residents, protecting heritage and assisting local groups and businesses to thrive.

"Working together, officers and councillors have identified that the way the councils have operated until now isn’t only unaffordable and unsustainable, but also doesn’t meet the needs of the communities of today and tomorrow,” a councils spokesperson said.

"Significant reductions in funding from central government, combined with challenges from inflation and cost of living pressures, mean the old ways of funding the councils' vital services are no longer fit for purpose.

"At the same time, the challenges brought by the changing climate and changes in society mean new ways of working are needed, to ensure that the councils’ services are more accessible for residents and do not impact on the environment.”

The result is a new approach in which the councils will ‘work hand in hand’ with partners and the communities to help residents, businesses and the local environment to thrive.

The councils will simplify their online processes, making it ‘quicker and easier’ for residents to get in touch and access services while allowing resources to be focused where they are needed most.

The programme is expected to reduce costs by £4m over the next two years, the councils said.

The spokesperson added: “Initially this will involve discussions over the summer with residents, local groups and partners to set out clearly which services the councils will provide and what they will look like.”

‘At the same time’, new council teams will be formed to work with members of the community in neighbourhoods to ‘improve Adur and Worthing for everyone’.

Dr Beccy Cooper, the leader of Worthing Borough Council, said: “Over the last two years we have engaged more with our citizens than ever before and as a council for the community we want to expand that even further.

“By building on those foundations and working even more closely with our citizens and partners, we can provide the services our communities need, in the right places and at the right time.”

Neil Parkin, the leader of Adur District Council, said: “We all have a role to play in improving our area, and by working together we can develop and support new initiatives to help our communities to thrive.

“We need to adapt to our changing climate and to continue to ensure we support those most in need.”