Dear Colleagues
The Coalition Government’s Spending Review set out today provides a fair though challenging settlement for local government. It reflects the clear priorities for the Spending Review as a whole: to bring down the massive budget deficit and drive economic growth, while protecting the interests of hardworking families and the most vulnerable in society.
The review also provides significant new powers for local government. Councils have long argued that with more freedom and flexibility, they would be much better equipped to become more efficient and effective in delivering local public services. This settlement delivers that freedom and flexibility, as part of the new Government’s decentralisation agenda.
Councils will face an average loss of grant of 7.25%, in real terms, in each of the next four years. However, this will be accompanied by new financial freedoms and flexibility.
The full letter is here.
