Call for 'clear roadmap' on council funding

Leicestershire County Council has urged the government to set out a "clear roadmap" on the long-term future of local authority funding.

A new finance report published by the authority said managing the demand for adult social care with reducing inflation meant it "is on track" to balance the books this year.

But it states "uncertainty on government spending plans" poses the "biggest financial challenge" and if support is not forthcoming, the council’s budget gap could exceed "£100m by 2028".

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said it would "provide more stability" to councils.

The authority's report said delivering adult support packages differently was set to reduce spending by £13m but warned rising demand for children’s social care is set to increase costs by £9m.

The council also highlighted "growing construction costs" as an issue for big capital projects, including the north and eastern leg of the Melton Mowbray distributor road.

Construction of the 4.4-mile (7km) road got under way last year is said to be "progressing well" but extreme weather, unstable ground conditions in key locations, utility delays and a wealth of archaeological finds are all increasing costs, the authority said.

Lee Breckon, the council's cabinet member for resources, called for "clarity on local government spending" to help the authority "to go further in protecting core services".

"Adopting a firm, long-term grip on our finances is why we’ve not hit crisis point," he said.

"Despite being poorly funded, we’re efficient and we’re lean and remain one of the top performing county councils in the country.

"We’ve drawn up plans to boost buses, fill more potholes and support vulnerable children and families but uncertainty around local government funding is leaving councils in limbo.

"That’s why we want the government to level with us on funding plans, set out a clear road map and prioritise reform of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities."

A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "This government will fix the foundations of local government and work closely with the sector to do so.

"We will provide more stability to councils through multi-year funding settlements, ending competitive bidding for pots of money and reforming the local audit system."

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