Welsh councils receive £260m funding boost

LONDON: Local authorities in Wales are to receive more than £260 million as part of a package of measures to help with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the Welsh government has announced.

The funding takes the total amount of Welsh government Covid-19 support for local authorities to almost half a billion pounds. The money will help cover increased costs, manage loss of income pressures, and fund additional cleaning requirements for schools.

Julie James, minister for housing and local government,said the funding would help local authorities budget for a potential second wave of coronavirus. “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,” she said.

“We have been working closely with the Welsh Local Government Association 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 said: “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.”

Anthony Hunt, from the Welsh Local Government Association, added: “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.”