People living and working in Blackpool North and Cleveleys will benefit from a share of £900m in additional Government funding for local councils.
The money will be used locally to help the council cover coronavirus-related costs and ensure it has the resources needed to keep providing key services as we battle the Covid pandemic.
Blackpool Council is to receive an extra £4.6m, Lancashire County Council an additional £11.3m with Wyre Council getting another £390,000. Blackpool has now received £23.86m, Lancashire £115.2m and Wyre £2.58m in direct extra support from the Government since the start of the pandemic.
In addition, Blackpool North and Cleveleys will benefit from a share of a further £100m established to support council-run leisure centres across the country, which are proving key to helping the health and well-being of people in the area.
Paul Maynard, MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys, said: “I welcome today’s announcement of additional funding for our local councils, to support our local authority teams in their ongoing response to the COVID pandemic and the vital services provided.
“At the same time, I know many individuals and businesses are struggling and more assistance will be needed over the coming months. I continue to make the case for targeted packages, to support our tourism and hospitality businesses and other sectors which have been badly impacted by the pandemic and the Government’s response, including arts and events.
“It is equally important income support schemes continue to support those in greatest need and I will carry on working with the Excluded All Party Parliamentary Group, fighting for those who, up to now, have had no access to the financial help they desperately need.”
The local authority funding has not been ring-fenced, meaning local leaders will be able to determine how to spend the additional money in order to best protect public health, local vulnerable people and the running of vital services. In total, more than £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.
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 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.”
Commenting, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “It's 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.”
