The lowest-funded councils across the country that make up the F20 group have called on the Government to address the ‘long overdue’ issue of local government funding reform.
The cross-party group today wrote to the Government warning that without more funding residents would face higher council tax bills and poorer public services.
Writing in response to the Government’s latest local government finance settlement, which confirmed £60bn for councils, the local government leaders expressed ‘extreme disappointment’ that funding reforms were once again delayed.
Leader of Warrington Borough Council, Cllr Russ Bowden, said: ‘Local government was never a protected area during the austerity years – some estimate that councils have been collectively subject to £15bn real-terms funding cuts.
‘Alongside this, the COVID pandemic, rises in inflation fuelling the costs of living and war in Ukraine have all put our services under growing pressure. These services are vital to support vulnerable people but we must be able to keep the services all residents benefit from, such as roads maintenance, flooding prevention, schools and waste and recycling centres, too.’
The F20 also repeated their call for a short-term, temporary fix which would see Government put in an extra £300m to level up local government finance.
