Numbers game

The draft budget papers indicate that Lancashire County Council will benefit to the tune of £24m in 2026/27 from the long-awaited 'fair funding review' of the way in which grants are allocated to councils.

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That figure will rise to £40.6m in 2027/28 and £58.4m in 2028/29.

However, in 2026/27 alone, the authority estimates that £93m extra will be needed to meet "increasing demands [on services] and the impact of inflation on budgets"-£54m and £39m, respectively.