Barrow and Furness MP Simon Fell has welcomed the Government’s announcement that the local councils responsible for delivering services across Furness will see their budget boosted by an average of 3.2 per cent next year.
Local authorities in England, including Barrow, South Lakeland and Cumbria County Council, will receive a share of £51.2 billion local government funding next year – up £2.2 billion on this year.
Funding for key public services will again be protected, with significant extra resources dedicated to areas where they are needed most.
Mr Fell said local councils across Furness will have a combined total of £20.4 million extra to spend next year.
The local government finance settlement sets out how much councils have to spend on vital local services each year, including social care which will see a £1 billion increase in funding next year as a result of the announcement.
In total, local authorities across England will receive an extra £5 billion in support next year, including a further £1.55 billion in additional grant funding to cover costs relating to the pandemic and an extra £670 million to help families facing hardship with their council tax bills.
Mr Fell said: “Local authorities play a vital role in our communities, providing the crucial local services that people rely on every day.
“I am delighted that all three of our local councils will have a combined total increase of £20.4 million in funding this year thanks to the Government.
“This builds on the significant funding boost the council received at the beginning of the year, underlying our determination to ensure all local authorities have the resources they need to drive forward our recovery in a way that works for our community as we build back better after the pandemic.
“Further to that we’ve seen £25 million awarded as part of the Towns Deal for Barrow’s Town Centre. £1.1 million in Historic High Streets funding for Duke Street in Barrow and both Dalton and Ulverston are in for £3 million each by way of Borderlands Place funding. I was elected to level up left behind communities like ours and these commitments by Government form part of that.”
