Stockport Council makes urgent appeal for fairer funding

Stockport Council is in a tough spot, facing a £75m funding gap over five years as service costs rise. The Lib Dem-led council is making tough choices, with potential job cuts and increased parking charges on the table. Last year, it introduced a £59 fee for garden waste and a 4.99% council tax hike to save £26m. With its budget vote coming up in February, concerns are mounting about the council’s exclusion from the government’s Recovery Grant for the second year running, despite severe local deprivation. Council leader Mark Roberts has written to local government minister Alison McGovern, asking for fairer funding, noting that Stockport’s core spending power increase is much lower than the national average. He highlights the unsustainability of relying heavily on council tax from local residents to fund essential services. The Labour government has committed up to £20m for community regeneration in Brinnington and claims that it’s increasing funding for councils, including £356.1m for Stockport. However, financial uncertainties remain for the council and its taxpayers.

Read the full article at Stockport Nub News