Government cuts council's grant again after appeal

AN APPEAL to the Government against Redditch Borough Council's funding settlement for the next 12 months resulted in their money being cut further, it has been revealed.

Council leader Bill Hartnett asked the Department of Communities and Local Government to look again at its grant for 2013/14 as the borough council received the biggest cut in funding out of any local authority in Worcestershire.

It was also felt it was a harsh decision considering the council was already cutting costs by sharing services with neighbouring Bromsgrove, something Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has encouraged.

But instead of reversing the change ministers recently informed the council its final funding settlement was going down by another £200.

Although not a significant amount Coun Hartnett said it was still disappointing but he did not regret appealing.

"If you see something that's unfair or unjust then we have a responsibility to bring it to the attention of the Government," he said.

Coun Rebecca Blake added: "It is beyond belief, we were cut worst in the county and now we've been cut again. It's absolutely disgraceful."

For the next financial year the borough council will see its government funding fall by ten per cent, about £437,000. More than £600,000 will be cut in 2014/15 meaning by the middle of this decade the council will have seen its government funding fall by 43 per cent from over £5.5million to almost £3.2million.

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