Localis response to Spending Review 2020
Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “On the face of it the local state lives to fight another day from today’s Spending Review announcement with probably just enough in extra day-to-day money to protect frontline services and ceiling room to raise extra council tax to fund social care.
“This can’t forestall the need to prepare and manage to deal with the scarring effects of a shrunken economy and labour market difficulties alongside other public service pressures ahead of the next multi-year financial settlement.
“The ‘once in a generation’ capital funding increases and welcome announcement of a National Infrastructure Bank based in the north should be seized on as good news for building back in some shape or another, alongside the promise of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund once it gets fully in flight from pilot programmes.
“The further promise of a £4bn ‘Levelling Up’ fund to support vital sub-regional infrastructure and the kind of local amenities and improvements that people most value, better high streets and cultural assets bodes well. Although the need for departmental and parliamentary consensus will suggest strong local consensus and detail alongside a requirement for strong, well-defined local delivery vehicles.”