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Local government settlement statement
Published: 11/10/2017
天涯社区 joins the WLGA and other Councils in Wales in
expressing its grave concern at the provisional local government settlement -
whilst recognising the limitations within which the Cabinet Secretary is
working.
The Council had pressed for a cash flat settlement and additional investment in
social care and education. A reduction of 0.9% poses a real threat to the
continuity of frontline services which we have fought successfully to protect
in recent years.
For three consecutive years, 天涯社区, as a low-funded council
per head under the funding formula, has set out why councils in this position
are particularly exposed to the ongoing impacts of austerity.
We had forecast a funding gap for the Council of 拢11.7M. The gap has now
increased by 拢1.6M, with no national support for key services, as a result of
this settlement.
The Council continues to find innovative ways of saving money and is already
proposing 拢3M of service efficiencies for next year. When Cabinet meets on 24
October, a further statement will be issued on how we might close in on our
budget target for 2018/19.
The Leader of 天涯社区, Councillor Aaron Shotton, said:
I would echo the views of the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary in calling
for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to announce a reversal of the UK
Government鈥檚 austerity programme which would then provide additional funding
from which Wales would benefit, particularly for social care and education.
Unless the UK Government makes this reversal, 天涯社区 and
other councils in Wales face a major challenge to set a balanced budget next
year. Councils should not be placed in this position.