LGA: ‘most popular’ council services cut by 2020

Funding for council services could see a reduction of 90% by 2020, the Local Government Association (LGA) has announced.

The ‘Funding outlook for councils from 2010/11 to 2019/20’ report projects that, by the end of the decade, town halls could become unable to provide road maintenance, library and leisure centre services because of the rising cost posed by adult social care.

The LGA has estimated that a £16.5bn funding shortfall could come to exist between money available to councils and the cost of maintaining services at current levels, a figure that grows from a predicted £1.4bn in 2012/13.

Alongside immediate financial support from the Government, the LGA has proposed that the system of adult social care would require a complete overhaul to stop it passing 45% of council budgetary spending by 2019/20.

This would include simplifying the legal network for care and support and improving integration across health, public health and housing to develop services and efficiency.

The LGA has stated that efficiency improvements would not be enough to cover the funding gap alone however, with cuts required for council services projected to be more than five times the £3bn cost for the provision of central service in 2010/11.

Sir Merrick Cockell, LGA chairman, said that councils would be forced to reduce ‘some of the most popular services’ unless action was taken by the Government to support funding for adult social care.

‘Local Government is best placed to ensure care is provided in a way which offers dignity to the individual and value for money for the taxpayer. It has to be in a position to do that while also delivering other services local people expect,’ Cockell said.