Local government services in England, including the arts, could be damaged by a reduction in funding in 2008/09, following the Local Government Finance Settlement revealed last month.
Councils in England are due to receive an extra £8.97bn over three years, representing a 4.2% average increase. However, the increase is not considered adequate, and not all areas are benefitting. Most London boroughs have received far less than the average, bringing concerns that non-statutory services including the arts may suffer. Councillor Merrick Cockell, Chair of London Councils, said that the settlement “unfairly penalises both the capital’s councils and their communities”. Shire counties could also be hit. The news comes in the wake of an average 1% real terms rise in grant to local government in October’s Comprehensive Spending Review, which Sir Simon Milton, Chair of the Local Government Association, called “the worst settlement for local government in a decade”.
Published: 14-01-2008