Conservative councillors in Wolverhampton have welcomed the Government’s confirmation that the city authority will see its budget increase by 6.4% this year.
Local authorities across the country, including Wolverhampton Council, will receive a share of £49.2 billion in local government funding this year – a 4.4 per cent real terms increase and the largest year-on-year real terms increase in a decade. Funding for key public services will be protected, with significant extra resources dedicated to areas where they are needed most. Thanks to the investment being made by the Conservatives, Wolverhampton Council will have an extra £14.5 million to spend this year.
The latest Local Government Finance Settlement, which was confirmed by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick this month, includes an additional £1.5 billion for social care. When added to the existing social care package, local authorities will now have access to over £5.5 billion of dedicated funding across adult and children’s social care in 2020-21.
Local authorities will also be rewarded for building new homes, with another £907 million committed to the New Homes Bonus scheme for 2020-21 to encourage development that benefit local communities.
Thanks to measures taken by the Conservatives, local residents will be able to prevent excessive Council Tax rises, with a referendum being required if the local authority proposes to raise it above 2 per cent.
Leader of the Conservative Group, Cllr Wendy Thompson, said: “Local authorities play a vital role in our communities, providing the crucial local services that people rely on every day. I am delighted that the Conservative Government has confirmed Wolverhampton Council will have additional funding this year, which will help to make much-needed positive changes in our city.
“The Government was elected on a promise to level up local communities across the whole country, and with this funding increase we can start to do exactly that here in Wolverhampton, ensuring everyone lives in a community they can be proud of.”
