- Central Bedfordshire will receive £19 million in extra funding next year as part of the Government’s £64.7 billion Local Government Finance Settlement.
- The Government is sticking to the plan, continuing to drive down inflation and ensuring local authorities in England have the long-term funding they need through an increase in their Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion and additional measures worth £600 million this year. The settlement includes £1.5 billion of additional funding for adult social care and additional support for rural authorities.
- This increase in funding for councils will enable councils to provide vital services for residents while helping them to manage their finances for the long-term, securing a brighter future for taxpayers.
Andrew Selous MP has welcomed the announcement that Central Bedfordshire will see its budget boosted by 7.6 per cent next year, as the Government sticks to plan by more than halving inflation from 11.1 per cent to 4 per cent and giving local authorities the resources they need to support their communities in the long term and deliver a brighter future for the whole country.
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 £1.5 billion increase in funding next year as a result of the announcement.
Local authorities in England, including Central Bedfordshire, will receive a share of the £64.7 billion Local Government Finance Settlement next year – up £4.5 billion on this last year.
This additional funding also includes a £15 million increase to the Rural Services Grant worth £110 million of spending to spend on hard-to-reach rural communities.
Residents will also remain protected from excessive council tax increases thanks to reforms to council tax, ensuring councils cannot impose sudden and unexpected rises in council tax on local people without a referendum.
This additional funding comes on top of the £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund and £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which are improving local and civic infrastructure and supporting local communities as the Government sticks to the plan to deliver a brighter future for all.
Commenting, Andrew Selous MP said:
“Local authorities play a vital role in our communities, providing crucial local services that people rely on, but we know the effect of Covid and the war in Ukraine have increased cost pressures.
“It is great news that Central Bedfordshire will have an additional £19 million funding this year. These additional funds will help our local leaders take long-term decisions to deliver a brighter future for their areas.
“This builds on the significant funding boost the council received last year, showing the Government’s plan to ensure local authorities have the resources they need is working.”