District Councils’ Network responds to IFS report into council finances

Commenting on the IFS report warning of council tax rises of 3.6% a year under current government spending plans, Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE, District Councils’ Network spokesperson for Sustainable Finance and Workforce said:

“Throughout the pandemic, district councils have been on the frontline fighting coronavirus and leading the humanitarian effort: supporting the most vulnerable, distributing grants to local businesses, getting rough sleepers off the streets and protecting communities. They will be central to the Government achieving its ambitions to level up the country.

“District budgets have been especially hard hit by Covid. The financial support provided by the Government so far has helped to relieve some of the pressures on districts. But unfortunately this has not covered all the financial losses, leaving many in a precarious position looking to the future.

“Only with long-term funding certainty can councils plan and deliver the services that businesses and communities rely on, maintaining the incentives to grow the national economy one local economy at a time. Councils also need further local freedoms and flexibilities to diversify their income generating powers.

“This IFS analysis shines a light on the pressures districts and other councils face. We call on the Government to provide the additional support that will help to keep council tax rises to a minimum, protect local taxpayers, and ensure we can invest in our communities and drive a strong recovery.”

Ends

https://ifs.org.uk/green-budget

Contact: District Councils Network Media Office, 020 7664 3333