Flintshire Labour Councillors refuse to back local MP’s call for Welsh Government funding formula review
Labour County Councillors in Flintshire have refused to back a local MP’s call for Welsh Government to review the funding formula for Local Government.
According to the Welsh Government, the formula used to determine how much each authority receives is calculated on a needs basis.
The factors considered for each area include population, levels of deprivation, the number school pupils and the length of the road network.
Flintshire has been consistently at the bottom of the formula table since its introduction over 20 years ago.
The Leader of Flintshire County Council, Cllr Ian Roberts recently criticised the formula used to calculate how much money it receives to provide services as the council struggled to balance its books.
The UK Government estimates that an average additional £2.5bn of annual funding will be provided to the Welsh Government through the Barnett formula up to 2024-25 “on top of its annual baseline funding of £15.9 billion.”
Flintshire County Council is one of the poorest Local Authorities in Wales.
It was announced in January Flintshire would be given more than £19m extra in its provisional revenue settlement for the next financial year, taking the total up to approximately £232m .
Council tax in the county has risen cumulatively over the last five years by around 30 per cent.
A hike of nearly four per cent for the forthcoming year was approved last month by Flintshire Councillors despite concerns over the impact on household purse strings.
The Council is currently rated 20 out of 22 councils in Per Capita funding, receiving £1,476 per capita, compared to neighbouring Denbighshire who is rated 4th, receiving £1,808 per capita in the Welsh Local Government Funding formula.
Delyn MP Rob Roberts said: “It is clear the current formula is either no longer working or the formulation being used is completely flawed and it is time for it to be independently reviewed.
“I absolutely recognise the efforts made by other politicians and political parties have gone to raising awareness of this issue, but I firmly believe it is time we put our political differences aside and work together to ensure residents of Flintshire get a better deal.”
“Even if Flintshire got the average of all the Welsh councils, it would mean more than £20m extra funding to Flintshire per year.”
Letter writing
The Delyn MP drafted a letter to be sent to Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government “outlining the impact this is having on the county and asking for the formula to be reviewed with the aim of getting a fairer deal for residents of Flintshire.”
He also wrote to Delyn and Alyn & Deeside County Councillors, Member of Parliament for Alyn & Deeside Mark Tami MP, Member of the Senedd for Delyn Hannah Blythin MS, and the North Wales Regional Members of the Senedd Mark Isherwood MS, Sam Rowlands MS, and Carolyn Thomas MS asking them to add their signature to the letter in support of the residents they serve.
So far just ten County Councillors have signed the letter, non are from the Council’s ruling Labour party, “disappointingly, 16 County Councillors have refused to sign the letter and there are a number of responses outstanding.” Mr Roberts has said.
“I whole heartedly thank those who have joined me in signing this letter and I am encouraged by those who have signed that they are putting the needs of their residents and the local area above party political lines.” He said.
“I urge those who haven’t signed already to consider what is best for residents in their wards and constituencies and I would welcome a change of mind.”
“I sincerely hope that we can continue to work together collaboratively on this issue to ensure a better, fairer deal for our constituents in the future.”
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