A Cumbrian council’s cabinet has recommended a raft of measures that will impact taxpayers as it claims its Government funding has been cut.
Westmorland & Furness Council’s cabinet met yesterday and has given the go-ahead for increases, while calling it a ‘disgrace’ that its cash had been cut.
It recommended that the full council approve:
- Increasing council tax by 4.99%
- A new annual charge of £60 per bin for garden waste collections. This charge will only be applied to residents who choose to use the service and will be managed through an annual subscription.
- Car park charges will be increased by around 10%.
- Increases in the charges for the use of Windermere Ferry, and the removal of the Blue Badge exemption.
- That other fees and charges are increased in line with inflation.
It said introducing a charge for garden waste was not a preferred option, but was being recommended as it strived to balance the books.
Andrew Jarvis, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said: “Our council has suffered grievously in the Government’s funding settlement.”
Westmorland & Furness Council said the Government’s proposed new funding formula failed to recognise the higher costs of service delivery in rural areas and the significant impact the proposed reduction would have on services.
It said the changes will create a funding gap of £11m for 2026/27, £25m for 2027/28 and £40m by 2028/29.
The Labour Government published its provisional settlements in December.
It decided to give councils multi-year settlements rather than paying out over individual years.
In 2024-2025, it said Westmorland & Furness Council core spending power – a standard measure used by government to assess councils’ overall funding – was £284.7 million.
Its figures show that Westmorland & Furness Council’s core spending power – will be as follows:
- 2025-2026: £309.9 million
- 2026-2027: £314.1 million
- 2027-2028: £315.9 million
- 2028-2029: £318.8 million
From this year, it will also benefit from the Fair Funding reset, which updates how funding is distributed so it better reflects deprivation, rural delivery costs and social care pressures. The allocation tapers over time as temporary protections are unwound.
It is as follows:
- 2026-2027: £110.5 million
- 2027-2028: £96.3 million
- 2028-2029: £82.2 million
Headline spending power figures assume use of the council tax flexibility available under national rules, and that decisions about council tax remain a matter for local councillors.
But Westmorland & Furness Council said the Fair Funding reset will cut millions from its spending power and has submitted a case to Government and is waiting for the outcome of the settlement.
It added it was continuing to lobby the Government to ask it to reconsider the proposals.
