Lichfield’s MP has backed calls for the Government to give more financial certainty to local councils.
It comes after the Local Government Association said a multi-year funding settlement was required in order to aid long term planning of services.
Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of Lichfield District Council, said such a move was “needed to “crucial for councils to plan budgets effectively” and allow them to manage future risk.
Conservative MP Michael Fabricant said he has now taken up the issue with the Chancellor.
“Both county and district councils need to be able to budget in advance knowing what income they will receive from central government.
“I have told Jeremy Hunt that I agree with the Local Government Association in their call for more certainty.
“In addition to speaking with the Chancellor, I have tabled a Parliamentary Written Question asking what plans he has to adopt a place-based approach in which funding is aligned with local needs and opportunities, and a return to multi-year settlements, giving medium term certainty and better value for residents as proposed by the Local Government Association.”
Michael Fabricant
Mr Fabricant said support was already being provided by the Government after he received confirmation from Communities Secretary Michael Gove that £5.1billion was being made available to “help councils and communities through challenging times”.
Mr Gove added in his letter:
“Local government delivers a broad range of services for all our communities. That is why we are supporting all tiers of local government through this settlement with a new, one-off funding guarantee that ensures all local authorities will see a minimum 3% increase in their core spending power before taking any local decisions on raising council tax.
“This settlement confirms our intention for referendum principles of up to 3% for core council tax and up to 2% for the adult social care precept in 2023/24 – significantly below headline rates of inflation.
“When taking decisions on council tax levels, I expect councillors, mayors, police and crime commissioners and local councils to take into consideration the pressures many households are facing.”
Michael Gove
