Borough copes better than most on key service spending

WARRINGTON is managing to maintain spending on key services much better than most other councils across the North West.
While spending by councils across the region has fallen by an average of 21 per cent since the start of the decade, and the worst hit council – Rossendale – by 57 per cent, Warrington’s spending has fallen by only seven per cent.
Spending by neighbouring councils has fallen more drastically – Halton by 51 per cent, Salford by 38 per cent, St Helens by 21 per cent, Cheshire West and Chester by 19 per cent and Wigan by 16 per cent.
Only Cheshire East, down four per cent, has reduced spending by less than Warrington.
The figures come from the TUC who say that councils across the North West are spending £1.4 billion a year less on key local services than in 2010.
The TUC has looked at of the impact of cuts in local government funding across England.
In 2010/11, councils in the North West were spending a total of £6.8bn on key services such as social care, waste management, libraries and transport.
But in 2018/2019 – following years of funding cuts from Westminster – that spending had fallen by 21 per cent (1.4bn) to £5.4bn.
This works out at 23 per cent (£180) less being spent on services per person in the region.
Only the North East has seen a bigger drop in council spending since 2010/11 than the North West, says the TUC.
Councils in England as a whole are spending £7.8 billion a year – £150 million a week – less on key services than they were in 2010.
The TUC claims poorer communities have been hit harder
By targeting cuts on central government grants, ministers have disproportionately impacted councils in more deprived areas of Britain, they say.
Local councils today are increasingly more reliant on raising income through council tax, their share of business rates and other charges and fees.
But this is much harder for councils in more deprived areas of the country as they are less able to raise significant funding this way.
TUC regional secretary Jay McKenna said: “Ministers have slashed funding for local services across the region.
“These are services our communities really depend upon, like youth services, libraries and local transport.”