£260m pot to prepare for second virus wave
WELSH local authorities are to receive a funding boost of more than £260m to prepare their budgets for a potential second wave of coronavirus.
Welsh ministers have today announced the additional support to help cover increased costs, manage loss of income pressures, and fund additional cleaning requirements for schools.
This latest package takes the total amount of Welsh Government Covid19 support for local authorities to almost half a billion pounds.
With further peaks possible during autumn and winter, this funding will provide councils with the confidence to prepare for a potential second wave.
THE Welsh Government has unveiled a multi-million pound support package for local authorities in Wales.
The package announced amounts to a funding boost of more than £260m for local councils in Wales. Ministers say the extra funds will provide councils with the certainty they need to plan for the remainder of the year.
This latest package takes the total amount of Welsh Government Covid19 support for local authorities to almost half a billion pounds.
The Welsh government says it will help cover increased costs, manage loss of income pressures, and will fund additional cleaning requirements for schools in response to the coronavirus crisis. With the real possibility of further peaks during the autumn and winter months this investment aims to provide local authorities with the confidence to prepare their budgets for a potential second wave. The funds will be allocated on a claims basis.
Minister for Housing and Local Government Julie James said: “Our local authorities have done a fantastic job of rising to the challenges of Covid-19, but we recognise the financial impact this has had on them.
“We have been working closely with the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and local authority leaders to understand the pressures and challenges they are facing, and the support needed to continue delivering good quality, integrated public services to communities across Wales.”
Finance Minister Rebecca Evans added: “Local councils have been at the heart of our response to Covid-19. This new package of financial support recognises the scale of the unprecedented challenges being faced by authorities across Wales and provides them with the certainty they need to continue to respond to the crisis and prepare for the rest of the financial year.”
Cllr Anthony Hunt, WLGA Finance and Resources spokesman, said: “Councils, and the vital local services we provide, are at the forefront of tackling this pandemic and have been under extreme financial pressure.
“This funding guarantee will give them the confidence to plan with greater certainty for the remainder of the financial year.
“I want to thank the Welsh Government for working closely with local government on this funding package, and for taking the time to understand the pressures facing local services.”