Councils warn of upper taxes and lowered providers after ‘disappointing’ authorities funding settlement introduced

Councils in England have warned they may very well be pressured to cut back providers and implement tax rises for the upcoming monetary 12 months as they criticised the extent of funding offered by central authorities.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has introduced that funding out there to councils will rise to greater than £64bn subsequent 12 months, up from £59.7bn in 2023/24.

It stated the councils will obtain a minimal 3% uplift in core spending energy – the quantity councils should spend from a mixture of presidency grants, council tax and enterprise charges.

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But councils throughout the nation have already warned that the settlement doesn’t go far sufficient to assist councils who’re dealing with chapter on account of rising value and demand pressures.

They have referred to as on the federal government to supply emergency funding to ring-fence essential frontline providers.

Councils struggling throughout the nation

Since 2020, seven councils have issued a minimum of one Section 114 discover, which signifies that all new spending – aside from defending weak individuals and statutory providers – should cease instantly.

Last week Cheshire East Council warned it may very well be pressured to declare chapter after it spent £11m making ready for HS2 earlier than the federal government’s “devastating” resolution to cancel the northern leg in October.

It follows Nottingham Council issuing a Section 114 discover final month, with its chief monetary officer warning it wasn’t in a position to ship a balanced funds for this 12 months, which is a authorized requirement.

Birmingham City Council additionally issued its personal 114 discover in September after being hit with a £760m invoice to settle equal pay claims.

In its provisional native authorities finance settlement for 2024-25, the federal government stated it was “making available £1bn in additional grant funding” for social look after the upcoming monetary 12 months, in contrast with 2023-24.

It stated councils will be capable to enhance council tax by as much as 3% and not using a native referendum, with an additional 2% for these chargeable for grownup social care providers and “additional flexibilities” for some authorities.

DLUHC additionally revealed it had made clear it doesn’t help councils making use of “four-day week” preparations after South Cambridgeshire District Council prolonged a trial of the four-day week till the top of March subsequent 12 months.

The authorities added it was exploring potential monetary punishments for councils who proceed to undertake the observe after 2024-25.

‘No selection’ on ‘greater council tax rises’

The County Councils Network (CCN), which represents England’s largest councils, stated county authorities will likely be “bitterly disappointed” by the announcement.

Councillor Barry Lewis, finance spokesperson and vice chairman of the CCN, stated: “The announcement of the provisional local government finance settlement today will be bitterly disappointing for England’s county authorities.

“With no further funding introduced, our councils could have no selection however to implement extra extreme reductions to providers and to levy greater council tax rises.

“This will undoubtedly be a double whammy for residents during a cost of living crisis, while an increasing number of local authorities will struggle to deliver a balanced budget next year.”

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‘Services communities depend on on daily basis uncovered to cuts’

Councillor Shaun Davies, chair of the Local Government Association, stated councils in England had been dealing with a funding hole of £4bn over the subsequent two years.

“The funding uplift announced by the government today assumes that all councils will increase their council tax bills by the maximum allowed in 2024/25,” he stated.

“This means councils are again left facing the difficult choice about raising bills to bring in desperately needed funding.

“Today’s settlement doesn’t present sufficient funding to satisfy the extreme value and demand pressures which have left councils of all political colors and kinds warning of the intense challenges they face to set balanced budgets subsequent 12 months.”

He added: “It is subsequently unthinkable that the federal government has not offered desperately wanted new funding for native providers in 2024/25.

“Although councils are working hard to reduce costs where possible, this means the local services our communities rely on every day are now exposed to further cuts.”