The extra £3 million support for local authorities in my constituency will help provide vital services during the pandemic. £2.3million has been allocated to the whole of North Yorkshire County Council and both Ryedale and Hambleton Councils will receive an extra £100,000 pounds each with Scarborough Borough Council, which covers Filey, expecting £640,000 out of the £900 million made available across the country.
This means that, since the start of the pandemic, North Yorkshire has received a total of £50 million, Ryedale £840,000, Hambleton £1.2m and Scarborough £2.39m in extra direct support from the Government which will help cover its coronavirus-related costs and ensure it has the resources it needs for key services.
Thirsk and Malton also stands to benefit from a further £100 million which will be used to establish a new fund to support council leisure centres that are most in need, in recognition of the ongoing challenges many local authority leisure centres are facing. This means that councils will have a £1 billion extra in funding this winter, with more details of the support for leisure centres to be set out shortly.
The £3million announced today is hugely welcome and will ease financial pressures on all three authorities and ensure they are able to continue providing the local services people depend on. Just as we said we would stand behind people whose jobs are at risk, with over £200 billion so far to project jobs, incomes and businesses throughout and beyond this pandemic, this Conservative Government is keeping its promise to local authorities and ensuring they have the resources they need to continue supporting people.
The funding has not been ring-fenced, meaning local leaders will be able to determine how to spend the additional funding in order to best protect public health, local vulnerable people and the running of vital services. In total, over £4.6 billion of the £6.4 billion in additional government funding made available to councils has not been ring-fenced, reflecting the Government’s view that local authorities are best placed to determine local priorities.
Cllr Mark Robson, Leader of Hambleton District Council said “During these increasingly difficult times we welcome any additional government funding to help in our ongoing response to the challenge of the COVID pandemic. As always my priority is to deliver an effective, professional and efficient council service to residents and businesses across Hambleton and any additional funding will help in doing just that”.
Cllr Keane Duncan, Leader of Ryedale Council said "I am proud of the way Ryedale District Council has responded to the coronavirus pandemic over the past seven months. From the very start we focused on keeping our services open and available to our residents. We were also able to provide extra assistance to those who needed it most, from advice to grants. This, of course, comes at extra cost and at a time when our income is significantly down. That is a tricky combination for any local authority. I welcome the latest announcement from government as it will help us continue to support our residents at this difficult time."
This is the fourth announcement of extra direct support for local authorities since the start of the pandemic. It forms part of an unprecedented package of support for councils, which also includes up to £465 million through the new Local Alert Level system, £300 million to support Test and Trace and £30 million for enforcement and compliance. Councils can also claim funding through a compensation scheme for lost income from sales, fees and charges and further additional support will be made available to areas placed under Tier 3 restrictions.
Commenting, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick MP said “Since the start of the pandemic, we have backed local councils with the funding they need to support their communities, protect vital services and recover lost income. This extra £1 billion funding will ensure that councils have the resources that they need over the winter and continue to play an essential role on the front line of our response to the virus while protecting the most vulnerable and supporting local businesses.”
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden MP added “It is vital that we keep ourselves fighting fit through the winter months and local authority leisure centres are crucial to this. This £100 million fund will help keep leisure centres across the country open. I urge leisure centres to bid for the money and people to make the most of these precious local facilities.”
and available to our residents. We were also able to provide extra assistance to those who needed it most, from advice to grants. This, of course, comes at extra cost and at a time when our income is significantly down. That is a tricky combination for any local authority. I welcome the latest announcement from government as it will help us continue to support our residents at this difficult time."
This is the fourth announcement of extra direct support for local authorities since the start of the pandemic. It forms part of an unprecedented package of support for councils, which also includes up to £465 million through the new Local Alert Level system, £300 million to support Test and Trace and £30 million for enforcement and compliance. Councils can also claim funding through a compensation scheme for lost income from sales, fees and charges and further additional support will be made available to areas placed under Tier 3 restrictions.
Commenting, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick MP said “Since the start of the pandemic, we have backed local councils with the funding they need to support their communities, protect vital services and recover lost income. This extra £1 billion funding will ensure that councils have the resources that they need over the winter and continue to play an essential role on the front line of our response to the virus while protecting the most vulnerable and supporting local businesses.”
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden MP added “It is vital that we keep ourselves fighting fit through the winter months and local authority leisure centres are crucial to this. This £100 million fund will help keep leisure centres across the country open. I urge leisure centres to bid for the money and people to make the most of these precious local facilities.”
