Leader pledges to keep fighting Norfolk’s corner
- By Elaine Bird
- 13 May 2019
- North-West Norfolk
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Norfolk County Council’s leader has pledged to keep lobbying MPs and ministers, to help ease the county’s budget pressures.
Councillor Andrew Proctor spoke out as his new cabinet prepares to meet on 20 May, to consider the council’s financial situation.
The council faces a gap of £70.8m over the next two years, due to rising demand, increasing costs and the ending of the Government’s revenue support grant.
Cllr Proctor is due to have another meeting with Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak shortly.
Cllr Proctor said: “Norfolk County Council has set out a clear, positive direction for the next six years through our Council plan, Together for Norfolk. This needs to be underpinned by certainty of funding – the end of the Government’s revenue support grant in 2020/21 brings this issue into sharp focus. We are developing plans to bridge a gap of £70.8m over the next two years and that’s not going to be an easy call.
“Whilst I support the Government’s desire for councils to be more self-sufficient, and to be fair to local government we have taken the brunt of spending reductions whilst remaining the most efficient part of the public sector, Secretary of State James Brokenshire is very conscious of the need for multi-year funding. Not only is that crucial for our future financial planning we must have the certainty that has so far been lacking. I therefore welcome the Government’s proposal to bring in the Fair Funding Review.
“We continue to engage positively with Norfolk MPs and the Government to ensure that they not only understand the issues but do something about it.”
The cabinet meets at 10am on Monday, 20 May.
For details of cabinet members, committee chairs and agendas, visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/cabinetandchairs
Group leaders’ and councillors’ contact details are available at www.norfolk.gov.uk/countycouncillors