Councils in Cheshire have received more than £143 million in new funding since March 2020.
This funding boost is part of the £1,156 million of extra support that the North West has received. The Conservative Government has given councils in England over £7 billion in additional support through the pandemic, with £3 billion more confirmed for next year.
One of the Borough representatives for Knutsford, Councillor Tony Dean has welcomed new analysis showing that local authorities across Cheshire have so far received an extra £143 million to support vital local services during the Covid-19 pandemic, with further funding confirmed for next year.
Commenting on the funding, Councillor Tony Dean said: ‘We really have been well funded by the government this last year, to deal with the extra work we’ve had to do due to the COVID pandemic. Any attempt the ruling Labour led coalition in Cheshire East makes to claim underfunding at this time is quite wrong. Do not believe statements of this type until proven and audited once every last penny has been received and counted.’
Over half of this funding has not been ringfenced, meaning local leaders can decide how to use the additional funds and which local services to boost investment to. This could include counselling services, delivering essential supplies to vulnerable families, and ensuring cherished green spaces are well maintained and covid-secure. Local authorities have also received over £2 billion in further grant funding since March last year to deliver specific schemes, such as providing emergency support for rough sleepers, preventing children going hungry, setting up local test and trace services and measures to make care homes, high streets and town centres Covid-secure.
In total, the Government has provided local authorities across England with more than £7 billion in additional support and introduced a range of measures to help council’s manage pressures on their finances created by the pandemic, worth billions more. A further £3 billion will be allocated to councils from April onwards.
