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News

Disappointing Response for Poole's Fight for Funding

Poole’s campaign for more Government funding has been dealt a sharp blow after a plea to meet with John Prescott fell on deaf ears.

Council leader Cllr Brian Leverett wrote to the Minister last month requesting a meeting to outline the seriousness of the town’s funding position. It comes after the provisional settlement from Government revealed that after passing on the money needed by schools, the Council had been left with no extra funding for services, not even inflation.

However a New Year letter from Nick Raynsford MP, based in the ODPM, said only written representations about local authority settlements were being accepted as there had been no changes in the methodology of calculating what councils should get.

Mr Raynsford’s letter added: "Ministers have taken tough decisions to improve this year’s Local Government Finance Settlement, by prioritising existing resources across Central Government. This improved package recognises pressures on other Local Government services; in particular it will allow authorities to protect Children’s services; and it will help keep Council Tax increases down to a reasonable level."

Cllr Leverett said: "I am extremely disappointed that the Government is unwilling to meet with a representation from Poole on the basis that there have been no changes in methodology. This is particularly disappointing when the Government is proposing that should be one of only four authorities in the country to receive no increase in funding for any services other than schools next year.

"As I have pointed out in my response to Mr Raynsford, we are getting no extra funding to deal with social services, waste collection and disposal or even pay and inflation. All this has to be met by Poole Council Taxpayers.

"Mr Raynsford says this settlement will keep council tax increases down to a "reasonable level". For the benefit of Poole residents I have asked him to outline what he believes to be a "reasonable level" because there are many people on fixed incomes that only get a three per cent rise and will again find it difficult to accept that Council Tax should rise above this figure."

Rachael Mills, Media Relations Manager, Communications and Tourism Services, Borough of Poole, tel 01202 633295