Council leader spells out the threats to services

£183m to its services.

It is the second lowest funded of the 36 councils that cover large metropolitan areas, behind only Trafford in Greater Manchester.

With Government officials putting the finishing touches to the Autumn Budget, the Local Government Association (LGA) has put out a call for the Treasury to put its hands in its pockets.

The LGA says: “Unprecedented funding pressures and demand for key services is pushing councils to the limit.

“Councils have strained every sinew to play a vital role in supporting local economies and communities through a difficult few years.

“Local government has sustained disproportionately large reductions in Government funding over this decade, in comparison to the rest of the public sector.

“If the Government fails to adequately fund local government there is a real risk to the future financial viability of services and councils.

“Many local authorities will reach the point where they only have the funds to provide statutory responsibilities.”

The latter scenario was predicted by former council leader, Clr David Sheard, last year.

Clr Sheard said if the cuts continued he could see Kirklees only being able to provide social care and would have to stop collecting the bins, cutting grass and filling potholes.

After an 11% hike in council tax over the past two years, Kirklees is expected to ask taxpayers for 3% more from next April.

Clr Pandor said: “Never before have councils, of all political colours, faced a funding crisis like this.

“My authority has had to take some very difficult decisions.

“We’ve achieved savings, but I want people to understand that over the past 10 years local government has lost 60p in every £1 of funding from central government.

“If the Government fails to adequately fund local government there is a real risk to the future financial viability of services and councils.

“We need to invest in our communities – I’m not sure the government understands that basic point.

“They need to, otherwise they will rightly pay a heavy political price come the local elections, next May.”