Will region be able to survive the impact of coronavirus?
COUNCIL LEADER SHABIR PANDOR ON THE CHALLENGES NOW FACING KIRKLEES, AND WHAT THE RECOVERY COULD LOOK LIKE
“But this crisis is not only incredibly challenging but unprecedented and it’s not over yet. It’s the most potently dangerous virus that is a real threat to human life.
“The recovery will be every bit as important as the crisis and we will need a decent financial footing to make sure we come back stronger.
“But we can’t do this on our own. It will need a strong partnership with national government to make this happen and I hope Government continues to support councils in our recovery.” account for their promise to do ‘whatever it takes’ to get us through the crisis. What we can’t afford to do is go back to austerity and cutting and slashing services.”
Kirklees’ council tax/business rates revenue is proportionally low compared to many. Is there anything the authority can do to mitigate that if lots of businesses go under and people begin to struggle to pay their council tax bills?
“Our priority is to help people and businesses through the crisis. We’ve done that by increasing council tax support and our help to businesses and, where we can, we’ve also committed some of our own resources in addition to Government funding, but it’s a price worth paying if we can help keep businesses and families afloat.
“It makes the job of recovery even more important. The best way to mitigate the impact of an economic downturn is to come back stronger.
“Our commitment to improving the local economy and being bold about how we deliver services in the future will be key to this.
“We will need strong Government backing and support not just for the short term but longer term as well. I urge the Government to invest in councils like ours so we can lead this rebuild locally.”
“We have been supporting businesses and people as much as we can through the pandemic. The short-term reduction in income has been a small price to pay to help keep businesses going and keep families afloat.
“The restrictions caused by lockdown have also caused our income to drop but they’ve been essential to keep people safe so I won’t be complaining about that.
“The fact is that a thriving local economy and vibrant communities will see our income rise again.
“That’s one of the many reasons why I’m so committed to our recovery: to deliver infrastructure improvements, give all children the best start in life and work with people across Kirklees to build thriving communities.”
If there is a financial hole going forward what impact will that have on key services such as adult social care - and how long will it take to affect the vulnerable?
“It’s wrong to say that coronavirus has been a ‘great leveller.’ It will be disadvantaged people and communities that will be affected most in the long run. That’s why we need to be bold and ambitious about recovery.
“There is already a massive funding gap to fund adult social care. What we need is a proper and sustainable funding deal from Government but we also need to challenge ourselves about how we can continue to improve what we do.
“We need to be creative about how we deliver services. And we must work even better with partners to make sure services like adult social care improve the quality of life for local people. That’s what recovery should be like in Kirklees.
“Now is not the time to lay more misery on those that need us the most and in Kirklees vulnerable people will get the care and support they need and deserve whatever it takes.”
What impact would a financial hole have on elements such as the £250m Huddersfield Blueprint masterplan and Kirklees’ commitment to climate change?
“We remain absolutely committed to delivering our long-term vision for Kirklees. The budget we passed before the pandemic struck was all about investing in Kirklees and all its towns and villages, its people and its places.
“Coronavirus hasn’t dented those ambitions, it’s made them more urgent.
“The same is true of the climate emergency, It hasn’t taken time off during the pandemic. It’s as critical as it was eight weeks ago and will become more so.
“Our capital investment needs to be as ambitious as it was before the crisis.”