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News

Joint Message to Government

'Poole residents and council taxpayers need help now - more money please!'

This was the cross party message taken to Westminster yesterday by Leader of Poole Council Brian Leverett; Cllr Mike Brooke, Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Poole; Robert Syms MP for Poole and Annette Brooke MP for Poole North and Mid Dorset.

Cllr Brian Leverett, said: "Getting a fairer deal for Poole is not a political issue. We have to provide the same services and face the same cost pressures as other parts of the Country but receive less than half the average funding from Government - this cannot be fair."

This was the cross party response during the consultation period to the latest attempts by Government to arrive at a funding formula to distribute Government grant to local authorities in England.

Cllr Leverett said: "Higher property prices in Poole have led the government funding formula to conclude that council taxpayers can afford to pay more than in other parts of the country. This is not the case for many people in Poole where we have a below average wage economy with an average house costing the equivalent of 10 years wages. We asked the government to recognize this issue."

Cllr Mike Brooke said: "We were able to demonstrate yesterday how we are making efficiencies across the Council in an attempt to keep Council Tax down and we expect these to be above the Government's requirement (Gershon) of 2.5%.  We are doing as much as we can and now we hope that the Government will listen to us. 

"It would be a nice New Year present to think that when the final settlement comes out at the end of January that there will be more money for Poole and less for Council Taxpayers to find."

This year's Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, announced in December, gives Poole only 2% extra funding next year. This is a third less increase than other Councils, to cover pay and prices, increases in energy costs, a new concessionary fares scheme, higher waste disposal costs, increases in residential social care and all the other services the authority must provide. 

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