Mid Sussex Liberal Democrats

• Typical family in Mid Sussex set to pay an extra £208.30 in national insurance contributions (NICs) this year as cost of living crunch hits.
• Local businesses are also set to feel the squeeze with £19,188,061tax hit.
• Lib Dems demand emergency VAT tax cut to put money back in the pockets of struggling families.

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Only a week after publishing plans for 1,000s more houses, Mid Sussex Conservatives put their proposals on hold as a result of pressure from local Lib Dem councillors

There was a furious reaction in January when Conservative run Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) announced plans for over 7,000 new homes in the District.

Real change for the better in Mid Sussex is possible, says Alison Bennett, Mid Sussex Parliamentary Candidate.

Mid Sussex Liberal Democrats have selected Cllr Alison Bennett as their prospective parlimantary candidate for the Mid Sussex parlimentary constituency. Alison is a Mid Sussex District Councillor for Hurstpierpoint and is leader of the Liberal Democrats, who are the largest opposition group on the Council.

With council tax set to rise alongside hikes in national insurance and the cost of living crisis, residents expect that money to work as hard as possible for them say West Sussex Liberal Democrats.

Speaking in advance of the County Council budget meeting on Monday, the Liberal Democrats said that, while the current Conservative budget has some good ideas, too much is being spent on back office functions like Human Resources and Organisational Change and they are asking for more to be spent on the services that residents need and use on a daily basis such as roads, schools and social care and to address the climate crisis more quickly.

"Trying to get Mid Sussex District Council to take action on fly tipping is like trying to catch a fly with one hand" said Cllr Simon Hicks after last Wednesday's Scrutiny Committee where he raised the issue of lack of action to combat fly tipping. "Despite having photographic evidence of two Burgess Hill delivery addresses which I recently found on fly tipping in the South Downs National Park it seems the Council is not willing to even notify the potential offenders that their waste carrier has committed an illegal act."

The Mid Sussex team has been celebrating their success in the latest round of council elections, this time electing councillors for West Sussex District Council.

In total, the party was successful in three seats, Hassocks & Burgess Hill South, a defense taking our majority from just 20 to over 1600 votes, Burgess Hill East and Burgess Hill North

Liberal Democrats call to halt the consultation on West Sussex Children and Family Centres following Government's new commitment to family hubs

Conservative led West Sussex County Council are currently consulting on proposed changes to its Early Help service which risk the closure of 32 Children and Family Centres and all Youth Centres. Burgess Hill will be left with NO Children and Family Centres or Youth Centres if these plans proceed, with services at The Gattons, Sidney West and Park Centre in Burgess Hill all slated for closure.

Concerns have been raised about school places at Downlands Community School in Hassocks being oversubscribed

Fiona Jackson, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Hurstpierpoint and Bolney in May's elections to West Sussex County Council, has called for the Conservative controlled Council to get on the front foot in providing enough school places at Downlands Community School in Hassocks.

Speaking after Conservative Councillors failed to back a plea for all party support to urge the government to reform council tax, Liberal Democrat councillor Simon Hicks highlighted that average council tax is now over £2,000 for some parishes in Mid Sussex. "It is vital that local services are properly funded yet council tax is out of date and unfair. It is the 'not quite poor' who suffer the most. Those who have enough income that means they don't qualify for benefits but get hit by above inflation council tax increases which costs them more than income tax."