Council leader fears rural areas will miss out

THE Conservative leader of Northumberland County Council has voiced fears rural councils will lose out on Government cash.

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Coun Glen Sanderson was concerned that, following the Spending Review, funding will be prioritised for deprived metropolitan councils rather than county councils like Northumberland.

Documents published last week as part of the Chancellor's Spending Review said that while funding for councils would increase overall, reforms would see funding “effectively targeted” based on an updated assessment of need.

The Tory-led administration at Northumberland County Council has been critical of the Government’s changes to council funding, with particular fury aimed at the decision to scrap the rural services delivery grant.

Coun Sanderson said: “It is always the small print that is the important part. We are genuinely really concerned.