More council cuts needed to balance budget

A COUNCIL will need to make more cuts to balance its budget next year, although these may be tempered by Government's reviewing of “fair funding” for local authorities.

- By JOHN GREENWOOD

Senior councillors heard funding changes being considered by the Government might benefit councils like Calderdale, giving more weight - and cash - to local authorities with higher levels of deprivation and lower Council Tax bases.

But, said Cabinet member for Resources, Coun Silvia Dacre: “This has the potential to benefit us comparatively speaking - although not to wipe out the need for some cuts.”

Councils who had benefited from Government funding arrangements over recent years were likely to push back against changes, said Coun Dacre (Lab, Todmorden).

However, Leader of the Council, Coun Jane Scullion, was more optimistic that less of a weighting to rural areas, where councils had to cover more distance to deliver services, or authorities with big Business Rate and Council Tax receipts - including cities like London - would benefit places like Calderdale.