Fairer funding at last - but changes are still needed for financial sustainability

GOVERNMENT'S MOVE TOWARDS MULTI-YEAR PAYMENTS 'EXTREMELY POSITIVE FOR CITY'

- By JOE LOCKER Local democracy reporter

NOTTINGHAM City Council's deputy leader says a major revamp in how much money the authority gets each year marks a “reversal of a policy of deliberate political underfunding”.

However, Councillor Ethan Radford, who is also the council’s executive member for finance, says adult social care and special educational needs services still require a “fundamental” change to steer councils towards sustainability.

The Labour Government says the revamped three-year funding injection is aimed at “restoring pride and opportunity in left-behind places, giving councils that need it most more resources to bring back libraries, youth services, clean streets, and community hubs”.

Political leaders have long been calling for a multiyear settlement - which is the money given to councils by the government - to help them better plan their budgets over a longer term.

For more than a decade councils have been given their settlements each year, with the figure revealed just months before a balanced budget had to be set.