A Westmorland & Furness councillor has hit back at an MP’s assertion that the authority should get a grip and manage its finances.
The council’s executive has recommended a raft of measures that will impact taxpayers as it claims its Government funding has been cut.
But the Liberal Democrat-run authority’s moves have been criticised by Barrow and Furness Labour MP Michelle Scrogham.
Judy Filmore, who represents Ulverston on the authority for the Green Party, told Cumbria Crack: “To tell a council to ‘get a grip’ while simultaneously snatching away the resources needed to reach our most isolated residents is breathtakingly cynical.
“I cannot believe that our MP is choosing to support a grossly unfair settlement over her own constituents, who will all lose out from this deal.
“To suggest that a council facing a £12 million immediate shortfall is simply failing to manage its finances is not just a mischaracterisation – it is an insult to the residents who will bear the brunt of this funding crisis.
“Due to this severe cut in Government funding residents are now facing the consequences of this enforced austerity: a new £60 bin tax, a 10% hike in parking charges, and the removal of Blue Badge exemptions for the Windermere Ferry.
“These aren’t ‘management failures’; they are the results of a council being hollowed out by a central government that prefers soundbites to sustainable funding.
“The 12% increase in Core Spending Power that the MP cites is a classic example of Whitehall sleight of hand.
“Between the lines, that 12% is not new money from the Treasury; it is a demand that local residents pick up the bill.
“At least three-quarters of that ‘”‘increase’ relies on the council hiking council tax by the maximum 5% year after year, forcing the most vulnerable across our region to pay more during a cost of living crisis is a regressive way to fund essential services.”
The executive has 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.
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
Cllr Filmore added: “The new Fair Funding formula actively penalises our rural geography.
“Delivering social care to a scattered population in Cumbria costs significantly more than in a dense urban borough. By removing the ‘remoteness’ factor, the Government has essentially cut our support by a third over this Parliament.”
