Green councillors in Darlington have written to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, “to ensure proper funding of local services and sound policy that works for people, not profit.”
Green Party Councillor, Matthew Snedker has called for a three-year funding settlement, an increase in all council budgets in line with inflation, an increase in investment for retrofitting homes and in services for the most vulnerable, particularly adult and child social care.
Cllr Snedker says: “It makes no financial sense to cut local government funding to the point where we can no longer deliver even basic services. Quite apart from the devastating effect it has on people’s lives, it’s poor value for money as it increases costs in the long-term.”
“Now is precisely the time for national government to fund Darlington Borough Council fully, so that we can work to protect the most vulnerable and build resilient, joyful communities, so we can serve our residents in the way they deserve and give them hope for the future.”
“Our Council is at breaking point. Even when we factor in a 4.99% increase in council tax, the finances are in a mess. The projections are that the Conservative-led council will run at an average loss of £9,726,000 each year up to 2027. When the reserves have been spent, this will leave a £13 million black hole in the balance sheet with no sign of how it will be filled.
“The Conservative head of the Local Government Association has said: ‘the numbers just do not add up,’ and added: ‘We desperately need to protect budgets and services from the impact of inflation, without which there will be real service cuts to some of the most vulnerable in our communities.’ [1].
Councillor Bryony Holroyd said: “As councillors, we work hard to build communities that are fairer, greener and healthier. We work to support local businesses, deliver vital services and protect and improve local environments.
“To do so effectively, councils need a guaranteed 3-year funding settlement from Michael Gove sufficient to cover the essential services that they deliver - proportional to the need in their area - and increased in line with inflation.
“Currently our council has to navigate a bewildering array of 448 different short-term grant and funding streams, often with short deadlines, this is no way to run an efficient local government. We need funding certainty so we can increase investment in adult and child social care. We need it to fund the insulation of our homes to make them more affordable and safer for residents to keep warm.
Cllr Snedker concluded: “Residents of Darlington have endured a decade of grinding austerity and council services have been stripped back to barely above the statutory minimum. Quite frankly the strain is showing. People are rightly asking which services will be cut back, or disappear for good but most of all I’m hearing from people who are worried that the increase in council tax is the last straw in this cost of living crisis.
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